Stars in the Sky
by RoseDot
Summary: When she recieves a mysterious package her mother left for her 17th birthday, it leads Lucy and Team Natsu on a journey to complete an un-finished quest and defeat an old rival. NaLu and other pairings! T for violence and language, credit goes to Hiro Mashima for characters and original storyline. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

What do you do when you think you are in love with your best friend? So many people have said Natsu and I like each other, or we would make a cute couple. Even Happy thinks so! But I'm still not positive on how I feel. I know I blush a lot when we talk, and a lot of the times there are butterflies in my stomach when we're together, but I don't know what true love feels like. I've never had a serious boyfriend before, never been on a real date. How would I know anything about that kind of stuff? All I know is from what I've read in my books.

Hi! I'm a celestial mage, Lucy Heartfilia, a member of the greatest guild Fairy Tail. I'm also part of Team Natsu, the strongest team in Fairy Tail (If I do say so myself). Along with Erza, Gray, Happy and, of course, Natsu, we work together to help people in need with our abilities. Over the months that I've been here, I've recently started feeling different when I'm around Natsu. Mirajane giggles every time I bring it up and mimics Happy. "You lllllllllllliiike him."

But do I?

* * *

_Mistress Lucy,_

_By the time you read this letter, it should be the day before your birthday. Happy early birthday! I apologize for sending this letter at such a random time, but it is rather urgent. I returned to the estate the other day, using the key that I never returned to get back in. I'm sorry for doing that, but I remembered something very important after your father left and let us all go. I vowed I would contact you as soon as I found a new place to live with the others and a job. You'll be happy to hear that four of us have gotten hired by a new family. I am their youngest daughter's maid, Bero is the private tutor, Ribbon runs the family library, and Aed is now the head chef. Everyone else working at the house split up, but the four of us have stayed together so far. We are doing so wonderfully, but we miss you so much._

_Anyway, the point of this letter is to inform you that your mother had given your father a package to give to you for your 17__th__birthday. I knew that he didn't give it to you when you visited last time, and I had a hunch that he didn't take it with him when he left. So I snuck back inside the abandoned mansion and searched for the place Layla told me she hid it. _

_As I suspected, it was still wrapped up in the same exact spot in the trunk in the attic. I am so sorry for not remembering earlier. It's been months since Jude fired us and left, and I should have thought of it sooner so I could give you proper warning. Please forgive me. _

_I now have the package with me. It's been so long since we've seen you, so I thought you could come get it and visit while you are here. We live in a little house in front of the only mansion in town, in Clander. It's only about an hour away from Magnolia! We hope to see you soon._

_Yours Truly,_

_Spetto_

* * *

This letter just about made my eyes pop out of my head. I reread it over and over 3 times after Mirajane handed it to me. She said it was sent to the guild with my name on it right after I left yesterday.

"I have to go!" I gasped. In my haste, I dropped the letter on the counter without stopping to pick it up.

"Oh, but Lucy! Natsu said you two were going on a mission today!" Mira said.

"Tell him I'm sorry, but I really have to go! I'll be back tomorrow!" I called over my shoulder, pushing past everyone in my way. I slammed through the door, leaving the rest of my guild staring after me.

I really hated blowing Natsu off, but this is more important. Mom left a present for my birthday? Why for my 17th birthday specifically? What could it possibly be? Birthdays have kind of been ruined for me since I was a child. I'd celebrate only with the servants. Aed would make a delicious cake, and everyone would play with me. Most of the time, father wouldn't come out of his study to wish me a happy day at all. That's why I never mentioned it to anyone at the guild. I don't want them making a big deal over it.

The afternoon sun shined down bright, making the water beside my home sparkle. I skipped and smiled goofily all the way back to my apartment where I packed my bags and got ready to leave. If I'm all set, I can go to the guild tomorrow to tell everyone I'm leaving and spend the day, then get on the train and make it to Clander by night!

* * *

At the Guild, 3rd Person PoV

The obnoxious pink haired dragon marched into Fairy Tail with his exceed, yelling loudly for Lucy. When the others told him she'd run out earlier, he walked to the bar to ask Mirajane where the blonde went.

Mirajane was furious. A purple cloud of anger surrounded her. Natsu turned around and tried to sneak away before the bartender could notice him, but it was no use. She grabbed his scarf and dragged him back before he could take more than 3 steps.

"Natsu Dragneel," she hissed in a blood freezing tone. Natsu wondered what he'd done to provoke the wrath of the S-Class wizard. The fellow guild members stared at them in interest.

"Y-Y-Yes?" Natsu stuttered.

"WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ANY OF US TOMORROW IS LUCY'S BIRTHDAY?!" Everyone in the room was stunned. Why had Lucy never told any of them? Nobody was more shocked than Natsu himself.

"It's Lucy's birthday?" Happy asked. Mirajane calmed down slightly.

"You didn't know either?" she asked, still holding on to Natsu's scarf. He shook his head vehemently. "Well then. Looks like we have to make it a surprise. And we need decorations and food…" she started mumbling to herself.

"What's this I hear about Lucy's birthday?" Erza asked, barging to past people to stand with Mira and Natsu.

"It's tomorrow, and she never told us!" Happy said. Erza's face paled.

"What will we do? We are not worthy friends!" she said to nobody in particular. She copied Mira and started talking to herself under her breath, pacing back and forth. Other people were starting to gather around them, yelling their ideas. Natsu once again tried to creep away, but Mira stopped him again.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mira asked. "We need all the help we can get!"

"Jet, you go make sure Lucy's at her house. If it looks like she's going to come back today, keep her distracted!" Erza commanded. Jet nodded and was off. Natsu was going to volunteer to do that, since it would make sense that he's the best at distracting the celestial wizard, but Mirajane cut him off.

"Wakaba, Macao, go get the boxes of decorations from the closet." Again, Natsu offered to go with them. At this point, he would take any job just to get away from the controlling girls.

"Levy, Wendy, Cana, Juvia, and Lisanna, come help me and Erza decorate and get ready for tomorrow!" Mira said.

"Everyone else, set things up and clean. Let's get this guild ready for a party first thing tomorrow morning!" Erza called. The wizards broke off into groups to finish their tasks, leaving Natsu and Happy standing in front with nothing to do.

"Natsu, if you really want to get away from here, go find a present for Lucy," Mira called over her shoulder as she left with the group of Fairy Tail girls, discreetly winking at him.

The job they were supposed to go on was forgotten and, with no ideas in their heads, Happy and Natsu slumped through the town, trying to think of anything they could possibly give Lucy that would make her smile.

**Hello Fairies! Thanks for taking time to read the first chapter of this new story! There are many more to come, so if you like it, make sure you follow it! I will be posting a new chapter every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and maybe some random chapters in between. If you like this, you may like the other Fairy Tail story I wrote, so make sure you check that one out on my profile as well. All credit for characters and original story line goes to, of course, Hiro Mashima. **

**See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy's PoV

After I was finished packing, I sat down at my desk and started adding to my book. Every time I looked out the window, I saw Jet peaking in. It was strange, and extremely creepy. Whenever I looked over, he'd duck away from the window, as if I didn't see him. If he was trying to spy on me, he was doing a terrible job. I considered going out there and smacking him, but what's the point? I'll talk to him tomorrow about being a creeper.

When the sun started to set, Jet thankfully left. I took a really long, really hot bath, dried my hair, and went to bed, excited for what would happen tomorrow.

* * *

"LUCYYY!" Happy yelled in my face. I swatted him away, staying buried under my covers. Why can't I just sleep in for once? It's my birthday, for Mavis' sake! Of course, they don't know that, but still!

"LUCY, WAKE UP!" Natsu said, sitting on top of me. How does he expect me to get out of bed when he's smashing me?

"Get off me, Natsu," I groaned. Natsu willingly climbed off, allowing me to sit up and stretch. "Why are you guys so excited?" Natsu and Happy stood with giant grins covering their entire faces, bouncing all around the house.

"I'll get her keys!" Happy called, flying away quickly.

"I'll get her clothes!" Before I could stop him, Natsu was digging through my dresser, throwing clothes all over the place behind him. My face burned when a pair of my underpants sailed through the air and landed on the blanket next to me.

"NATSU WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" I yelled, jumping to stop him. He spun around and put clothes in my arms and pushed me towards the bathroom.

"Hurry up!" he said.

"What is with you both today? Is there something I don't know about?" I asked out loud, closing the door behind me. I wonder if Natsu realized what clothes he was grabbing or if he just chose randomly? He picked out the same outfit I was wearing the day we met in Hargeon. I put one section of my hair up in the matching blue ribbon.

"Happy birthday to me," I mouthed to myself in the mirror. My heart tweaked a little thinking about the usually sad day for me.

When I went back to my bedroom, my two annoying friends were missing. Of course, I found them in my kitchen, eating all my food. Happy turned around with his mouth shoved full of fish and handed me my belt. I sighed. Natsu grinned while cramming a little more food into his already over-flowing mouth.

"Come on!" he mumbled, grabbing me hand and dragging me out of my apartment. Happy flew in front of us in a daze, patting his bulging stomach happily.

Happy and Natsu kept up a steady stream of chatter all the way to the guild. I slouched behind after Natsu let go of my hand, trying to mentally prepare myself for the long day of explaining why I was leaving and where I was going and why Natsu couldn't come with me. I love when Natsu insists on coming with me, but I just want to be alone sometimes when it involves my past.

"Lucy, are you ready?" Happy asked when we were standing in front of the giant doors.

"Ready for what?" I asked. What was going to be any different than normal? Natsu and Happy laughed at my confusion. Natsu stepped inside, holding the door open for me with one arm. The room was completely dark at first, until the lights were flipped on and people jumped out from behind counters and tables.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!" everyone yelled. I almost jumped out of my skin.

"How…did you know?" was all I could ask. I was speechless. They'd decorated the guild. There were streamers and balloons everywhere. Almost everyone was here, too, even Laxus and his team. My friends laughed at my expression.

"I saw the letter you left on the bar!" Mira said, carrying drinks around on a platter. She started handing them out to everyone near her. Did I leave that here? I guess I was so excited, I dropped it without noticing. Natsu ran off with Happy when he caught the scent of food. I was about to follow them, when…

"LUCY!" Erza yelled. I flinched away from the angry-looking Erza. Mirajane handed her tray to Lisanna and stood beside Erza. Her mood changed in an instant, and she was immediately as mad as the red head beside her.

"Why did you never tell us it was your birthday?" they asked, towering over me.

"I don't really like my birthday…" I said fearfully. Levy pushed between the two girls and gripped my arm.

"Come on, Lu-chan. Let's party!" she said, saving me from the wrath of the two most powerful wizards in Fairy Tail. She led me through groups of people until we were standing in the center of the guild. I panted in relief.

"Thanks Levy, I—"

"Oh, you're not off the hook yet," Levy said, spinning on me. Her normally happy features turned sour. "Why did you never even mention your birthday?"

"It's like I said. I don't like my birthday," I said, starting to feel guilty. I really hadn't meant to make Levy sad or anything like that. I honestly didn't want anyone to know in the first place.

"Even Natsu didn't know! He was just as surprised as the rest of us!" Levy said. "He looked upset when Mira told him… I wonder why…" She winked at me before laughing. "It's alright. You're forgiven. But tell us next time, 'kay?" I nodded in relief.

"Lucy!" Cana called, waving me over. Levy followed as I sat across the table from Cana. There was already a barrel of alcohol half empty beside her. Of course.

"Happy birthday, Lucy," Cana said, handing me a little pink package. I hesitantly unwrapped it. It's bad enough people knew it was my birthday, but now they're giving me presents? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything they've done for me today, but I'm starting to feel guilty that they went through so much trouble for this!

Inside was a thin gold chain. The charm attached to the bottom was in the shape of the Fairy Tail insignia, no bigger than my thumb nail. It was gorgeous.

"Thank you so much!" I gasped, instantly putting it on. I looked down to see how it was. The charm hung an inch below the hollow of my throat. The chain was so delicate, you could barely see it.

"No problem! It looks good on you," Cana laughed, taking another swig of her drink, satisfied that she picked a good present for me.

"I wanted to be the first one to give her a present!" Levy whined. She pulled out a long but skinny package wrapped in plain brown paper huffily.

"Levy-chan, Cana, neither of you had to get me anything," I said, pulling the paper off the second gift hesitantly.

"Of course we didn't," Cana said.

"We wanted to!" Levy finished. I opened the box carefully to find a long white feather. There were multi-colored strands of pink, purple, blue, and every other color in between the white. "I thought you could use it to keep writing your book!"

I put the lid back on the box and set it on the table.

"Thank you!" I yelled, tackling her in a hug. I walked around the table and attacked Cana too. They both shoved me off good naturedly, saying I was being too overdramatic for such small gifts. Levy walked with me as people called me over and gave me things. I started feeling worse and worse with everything I got. I don't deserve any of this.

Reedus gave me a painting he made of me and Levy. We were leaning against each other, back to back, reading our own books. He even captured the secret smiles we tried to hide when something good happened in the story.

Wendy and Charle gave me a new orange ribbon from my hair. The she-cat avoided my hug I aimed at her, but Wendy happily accepted.

Mira gave me a book all about love. She handed it to me with a wink. "Look at page 23 and 29. They should help." She walked away before I could answer. I slapped my forehead when I flipped to those pages. _How to Tell if Your Man Loves You _and _How to Confess._ Typical Mirajane.

Erza pulled me down, almost crushing my wrist in her steely grip, and shared a piece of her giant strawberry cake she was eating all by herself. She even pulled a candle out of nowhere and stuck it in the top. She dragged Natsu over by his ear to light it, and then pushed him away again before he could touch her delicious dessert.

Gray gave me a delicate flower made of ice, telling me that it would never melt. Juvia gave me an icy glare. I stood up to leave the table I was sharing with Laxus and Freed (they embarrassedly handed me a box with a fancy calligraphy pen and a pair of headphones for my music lacrima in it. The headphones had little thunderbolts on them) when I noticed I was alone for the first time all day. When I looked around for my short blue haired friend, I saw her standing over with Natsu at the bar. It looked like they were arguing, so I stayed away and mingled with the others instead. Happy flew over and gave me his present.

"A yummy fish!" he squealed. I smiled and laughed awkwardly. The fish was cold and really slimy. I thanked him anyway and set it on the table with the rest of my gifts, already panning on how I would cook it and give it back to him as thanks. Happy went back to a very strange looking Natsu. I couldn't figure out what the expression on his face was. I haven't talked to him since he left me this morning when we first got here. I was about to walk over when a very annoyed looking Levy came back to me.

"I swear, I don't understand why you like that boy," she muttered, dragging me away from Natsu. I looked back over my shoulder to see him staring after us.

"I don't!" I insisted quietly. Although I couldn't see, I assumed she was rolling her eyes. I changed the topic quickly before she could start in on the lecture. "Levy, what were you fighting about?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it; he'll tell you later," she said. Levy led us to the space people had cleared for a make-shift dance floor. Natsu joined us and everyone else, goofing off and making me laugh. I spent the rest of the day laughing with all of my friends and family, leaving behind any and all troubles in my life for a few hours.

* * *

I left when the sun was starting to dip behind the horizon. The party was still going strong, but I was exhausted. Something was tickling the back of my brain, too, but I couldn't seem to remember what it was. I carried the bag Mirajane had put all my present in and trudged home with it. For a second, I was sad Natsu wasn't here walking with me like usual. He's been acting weird all day, and it was starting to worry me. Maybe if he comes over tonight, I can ask him that, and what he and Levy were arguing about…

My jaw dropped to the ground.

HOW COULD I FORGET TO TELL EVERYONG THAT I'M GOING TO CLANDER FOR A FEW DAYS?

I'm an idiot. I am officially an idiot. Maybe I should go back and tell them… I looked up at the tower that always has the time on it. My jaw dropped again.

My TRAIN IS LEAVING IN HALF AN HOUR.

I bolted home as quickly as I could, making excuse in my mind. If I left the letter Spetto left for me at the guild, Mira could look at it and figure that I went. _I never told anyone that I'd be leaving so soon! _If they can't find me, they'll assume that I just left without telling them. _They'll all worry about me!_ Well there's nothing I can do to change that now. I dumped the presents on my bed, scribbled a quick note to Natsu for when he eventually comes over to find me gone, grabbed my already packed suitcase, and was about to head out when something caught my eye.

There was an unopened package sitting with the rest of the gifts that had tumbled out of my bag when I threw it down. It was sloppily wrapped, and 'Natsu' was written on it in a messy script. Why hadn't he given it to me earlier? Why did he sneak it into the bag instead of handing it to me himself? I grabbed it at the last second and continued out my door and into the almost dark evening.

**I hope you liked this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

I ran to the train station and boarded my scheduled train that would lead me to Clander in a little less than an hour. As soon as the train took off and my bag was safely stowed away in the seat across from me, I opened the box I was still holding from Natsu. Inside was a piece of really fancy paper, l ike the kind people print important letters or certificates on. My eyes scanned the page.

Natsu had bought me a star. The paper showed me where to find it in the sky. Natsu's messy handwriting was in the bottom corner, where the lines said to write who it was from and what they're naming the star. _'__From Natsu'__ '__Lucy's Star'_

My eyes clouded up. I didn't even know you could do that. It was so kind, and thoughtful, and touching, and—

That's when the regret set in. If only I had actually told someone I was leaving and where I was going. My friends are going to be so worried about me if they don't re-read the note that Mira found. And what if she threw it away? Then the only thing that says where I am is the note I left for Natsu, and that wasn't detailed at all! And what id something bad happens while I'm away? I'll be all by myself. I should have waited for Natsu to come over, like he does almost every night. Even if he didn't come, he could at least tell everyone else that I would be gone for a few days.

"Well, it's too late now," I murmured to myself, catching the attention of the guy sitting across the aisle from me. The three seats around him were empty as well. He had blonde hair and was kind of gangly, but also attractive in a nerdy kind of way. He looked about my age.

"Hello! My name is Cleo," he said, sticking his hand out for me to shake. I nodded politely and smiled at his green eyes. They were such an odd shade; I found it hard to look away. The green was so light, it looked like new grass in the beginning of spring.

"I'm Lucy," I said. He gapes at me.

"You have blonde hair and brown eyes, and is that a key ring I see? Do you happen to by Lucky Lucy of the Heartfilias?" he gasped. I squirmed in my seat. How did this guy know all about me and my keys? Don't tell me I got on the train with a stalker.

"Well, I'm not so lucky anymore, but yes," I said. "How did you know?"

"I've read so many articles about your family! You are Jude and Layla Heartfilia's daughter, Lucy! I always wanted to be just like your dad! Tell me, is he as amazing as all the stories I've read say?" Cleo's enthusiasm reminded me of Jason, the reported that from the Sorcerer Magazine that always pops up out of nowhere.

I chuckled nervously and pulled my hand back. Cleo had been holding it the entire time, creeping me out a little. He looked slightly annoyed when I moved, but he wiped it away a second later. They guy was way too interested in my life, and I didn't particularly want to tell him all about the past of my past I didn't really want to remember in detail. "I guess so."

"That is so cool! I haven't heard anything about your family in a long time, besides the fact the Just lost his business and left. But I don't believe that's the end of the story! The Heartfilia Rail Company was doing great! So what actually happened? Did he just move out of the spotlight? Do you still live with him? Maybe I could go meet him sometime with you!"

My anger slowly rose as he babbled. I give him my iciest glare. "Excuse me, but it's not any of your business. I don't typically go around telling people I just met about my family, or inviting them back to my house. Now if you'll excuse me," I snapped, turning the opposite way to face my window. Cleo's reflection in the glass looked irritated and angry.

Strangers these days… Honestly! I don't go around asking people about their lives! There should be a code of conduct for meeting someone on a train. What was that guy's problem? And why did he know and want to know so much about my family?

I cleared the creep out of my mind. The more I think about him, the madder I get. The box sitting in my lap rattled when I tried to gently slide the star certificate back in it. I stuck my hand in and fished around the cardboard until my fingers touched something smooth and cold. What I saw warmed my heart.

I almost started crying. Natsu had found me a silver gate key. Telescopium, the telescope. I've seen this as one of the magic shops a town away before, but I didn't have any money with me at the time. Did I ever mention it to Natsu, or did he get it based on the star he also got me? Now I'd have a way to see that much more clearly.

I slipped the paper into the box and clipped the new key with the rest onto my belt, deciding that I would make a contract with it later and look for the star as soon as I can.

* * *

The rest of the train ride passed in silence. I was stills teaming over how nosy and rude Cleo was and obsessing over how sweet Natsu was when I got off and started searching for the house my old friends live in. It wasn't a large town, so it was easy to spot, even in the darkness. It was a large mansion set back a half mile from all the other houses. I walked down the cobble paths, looking around in wonder. This place was so much like the house I grew up in. The houses were small but cute, decorated with flowers everywhere. An owl hooted to the left.

I rapped three times on the door of the only little cottage closest to the mansion.

"Mistress Lucy!" Ms. Spetto cried when she threw open the door. The older lady hugged me around my legs and squeezed tight, almost knocking me over. "Oh, you've grown so much!"

"Hi Ms. Spetto!" I laughed, hugging her as much as I could in return.

"Oh my dearie, you must be exhausted! Come on, come on, let's get you inside!" She shepherded me in, closing the door behind me. "The people we work for are so nice now. They have given the dour of us our own little house to share over here. The father is so kind. He spends so much time with his wife and two children. One's a girl named Marley and the other is a boy a year older, Tamaki. Such wonderful children, and such a wonderful man too," Spetto babbled, showing me around the house and sitting me down on the couch in the small living room beside the entrance to the house. My heart hurt a little hearing her talk of the new family, although I was beyond happy for everyone, including those children. They have the best servants possible to watch out for them now.

"Aed! Ribbon! Bero!" Ms. Spetto called through the house. The little cottage was even cuter on the inside then the outside, with just enough room for the four people living in it. The walls were a light mint green. The two large couches and chairs decorating the room were a deep chocolate brown and the most comfortable things I've ever sat in. There was a stone fireplace against the wall a few feet away, roaring happily. Across the hall was the kitchen, and more rooms branched off the long corridor. It was a surprisingly large cottage. I've only been here a few minutes, and I already feel at home.

"Miss Lucy!" my friends yelled, swarming around me, all talking at once. I laughed and leaned back on the couch after hugging everyone. Nobody looked any different at all. They may have gotten a little shorter, although I suppose I could have just gotten taller since the last time I went back to the estate. Once the hellos were made, I accidently yawned.

"Let's get you some blankets so you can sleep!" Ms. Spetto said, disappearing down the hallway. She returned a minute later with a stack of quilts and blankets far taller than she was. She refused my offers of help and piled the warm sheets over me after I'd changed into my pink pajamas.

"We can talk later. Right now, you should sleep!" she said, kissing my forehead and leaving me lying on the couch. The others followed her, back to where I assumed their rooms were.

It was more than a little strange. I thought we'd stay up and talk a little more before I want to sleep. It doesn't even seem that late!

I checked to make sure my suitcase and present from Natsu weren't too close to the fire. My eyes close of their own choice and didn't open again until morning.

* * *

"I'm really sorry, but I can't stay for long. I kind of left without telling anyone and I'm worried they'll be mad at me," I confessed when everyone was gathered in the front room again bright and early in the morning, plates of deliciously cooked food stacked on the table in front of us. Ms. Spetto sighed in relief.

"That quite alright," Ribbon said.

"We didn't know you'd be coming so soon. If the family hadn't been out of town, we'd have to be in the mansion right now with them. They're due to arrive by noon, and we need to be there to greet them and get to work," Bero explained.

"I'm sorry I didn't give any warning," I said, feeling even guiltier now.

"Now worries, Mistress Lucy!" Spetto comforted me. She went to the closet hesitantly and pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper. The others stared at me seriously.

"That be the present from your mother," Aed said, abandoning the book he was examining.

"Do you guys know what it is?" I asked, nervously pulling the paper off of the box. Their silence informed me that they did. I pulled off the lid and stared into its contents cautiously.

**How did you like this one, Fairies? Leave a comment to let me know, or to give me a suggestion, or to just talk!**


	4. Chapter 4

Inside the shoe-sized boy was a yellowed piece of paper and two things wrapped in more paper. I opened the letter first.

_My Darling Daughter,_

_Happy birthday, dearest. Your 17__th__birthday should be full of joy and laughter, so please do not despair over my not being there to give you this gift myself._

_The first thing I would like to say: give your father a break. I know that he may be much different than how he is now after I'm gone, but he loves you. He's been through so much in his lifetime. Whatever happens, you are his daughter, and he is your father. You can only ever have one in your lifetime. I'm not saying to forgive him if he's been terrible, but at least forget the past. _

_When I knew that my time was short, I decided it was time to entrust these to you, along with a story I told you when you were little. I doubt you remember it now. You were so young._

_Once upon a time, there was a young girl. She came from a poor family, so she spent her time working to help support them. She knew she had the potential to be the best celestial spirit mage there was, but nobody believed in her. Her mother wanted her to stay and help their family. In an act of defiance, although it hurt her heart very much, she left home and started her own quest to prove to everyone what she had inside herself. _

_She struggled in many ways. She didn't have much money. She no longer had a home she could return to without admitting defeat. She didn't have any friends to help her, besides her spirits she had contracts with. She didn't even know where she was going, or how she was going to prove to everyone that she could do it. But instead of returning to her family, she continued on, travelling far and wide, aimlessly looking for new keys and fighting all the dark guilds she could. She got hurt many times, and barely escaped with her life more than once. Whenever she came into a bit of money as a reward for completing a mission, she was sure to send it back to her mother._

_One day, she woke up and decided that the mountains would be a good place to train herself. So she climbed the tallest mountain she could find, Estelle Mountain, set up a camp at the peak, and looked up at the stars every night. The girl pointed out the constellations of her spirits and called them out to keep her company._

_After two weeks of being at the top of that mountain, a large best flew over her. It landed a few feet away, crushing her tent. The impact made the ground shake. The foolish girl had always had a temper, and before she knew it, she was yelling at whatever the creature was. It looked very surprised, and then started laughing. It wasn't just any laugh, either. It was loud enough to make her plug her ears. She was positive the town miles below could hear this being chortling loudly._

_"__You are the first human to ever mouth off to me. I like you," the thing said in a high voice, completely unexpectedly. The traveler looked at the wings on the thing's back, the scales on the beast's arms and legs, and the creature's long tail. She stood tall and, hiding her shaking legs perfectly, stared straight into the eyes of the dragon._

_"__You are not afraid? You do not tremble in fear before me, begging me to spare your life?" the dragon breathed. The stupid girl shook her head. The truth was, she was terrified beyond belief. But she was a proud, stubborn girl, and refused to show how she really felt. "Good. Because I didn't come here intending to hurt you. Hello, young stellar mage. My name is Celeste, and I am the Star Dragon. Some people also refer to me as the Spirit Dragon, whichever you prefer."_

_The girl's eyes widened in awe._

_"__I have come to speak with you. Every night, I've seen you talk and laugh with your spirits, pointing up at my stars and telling the legends of them. I recognized your true and loving heart, and offer you a quest."_

_"__A quest?" the girl asked. "What could a dragon possibly want me to do for them?"_

_"__I would like you to have my key." This was shocking news to the young girl. A dragon's key? She didn't even know dragons HAD keys, much less gave them out to poor humans like herself._

_"__I see you are confused. Allow me to explain. I am indeed a dragon, but as I am the dragon of the stars, I am also a spirit," Celeste said. "But you may not have my key so easily. For one, I am the strongest spirit in the world, beside the Sprit King himself. If you can possess all 12 of the golden Zodiac gate keys and become the gate between the worlds, return here and summon me with this scale. I shall come find you, and train you to use my key." The girl shook her head in wonder. It was an incredible offer, and she couldn't turn it down. This would prove to everyone that she is stronger than they think!_

_"__I would be honored," she said humbly. Celeste used one claw to pry a scale off of her front leg. She handed it to me gingerly. _

_"__I am glad. Now, return to your home and start searching around the world. I look forward to seeing you again, Layla Heartfilia."_

_This is the story of when I was your age. And I now pass this quest along to you. Acquire Celeste's key. Become the gate between the worlds. It will be dangerous. From the moment you were born, I knew your heart was pure. Finish what I was never able to. I know you have it in you. You are my beautiful Lucy, and I love you. Be strong, my darling Lucy. I will always watch over you. Happy birthday._

My fingers shook by the time I was done reading. This was completely insane. Having a dragon as a spirit? Was that even possible?

"How…?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"Open the rest," Ribbon said, pointing to the packages still wrapped in the box. My trembling fingers unrolled the first piece of paper. Inside was one golden key. I only needed one more, and I'd have all 12.

"Why didn't she five this one out to the servants, like she did with the others?" I asked, laying it flat on the palm of my hand. The symbol for Libra stood out on the shiny plate.

"This is another birthday present for you. I believe she meant to give it to you earlier, but she passed away before she could decide. Her will stated to put it in this box," Aed said glumly. I scrubbed my hand furiously over my eyes. Stupid, pathetic tears.

I unwrapped the final bundle of papers to find a shiny, pearlescent scale. It was no bigger than the size of a small orange, about half an inch thick.

"That is a scale from Celeste, the Star Dragon," Bero informed me. It shook in my hand, almost falling to the floor.

"This is absolutely crazy," I muttered. "Why did she never tell me and of this herself?"

"You were just a small child when she passed. At the time, she didn't even know you were going to become a celestial spirit wizard. This was all done assuming you would be," Spetto said. I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling.

Dear mom up in heaven, why did you do this? I love my life exactly how it is. I don't want anything to change, except maybe for Natsu to like me back. Everything will be so much different if I get Celeste's key. But I know this quest meant a lot to you, so I'll finish if. If only just so you'll be proud of what I've done.


	5. Chapter 5

A loud crash came from outside. I jumped. The others looked around worriedly.

"What was that?" I asked, already standing up and heading for the front door I left the box in my spot on the couch, shoving the door open and stepping into the blinding sunlight, only to see my friends kneeling or laying on the ground, with that stupid creep from the train standing in the center, laughing.

"Natsu!" I yelled. "Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!" I called, slashing the key through the air and running to Natsu's side. He was badly hurt. Dirt was ground into all the cuts on his arms and chest. The sight of his blood made me nauseous.

"Lucy! Get back!" Erza yelled. Taurus was charging at Cleo, but he easily stepped out of the way. Did he follow me? Why would he hurt everyone?

"Oh, gosh, I had really hoped this could be taken care of easily. Lucy, be a dear and send back your spirit now," Cleo said in his condescending manner.

"I shall not abandon my beautiful Lucy!" Taurus pledged, running back at the blonde man again. Same as last time, Cleo stepped to the side at the last second. He swung his fist out, holding a knife, which went straight through Taurus's stomach. He disintegrated, yelling an apology. My heart hurt at the pain he must have felt.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" I asked, standing tall and facing the monster. He chuckled and shoved his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts.

"We already met, remember? I'm Cleo. I'm a mage, just like you. And I want that dragon scale, along with all of your power."

"How did you know about the scale?" I gasped. Natsu groaned beside me. My eyes shot to him with worry.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I didn't hit him, or any of your other friends, hard enough to kill them. Yet." The others were trying hard to stand. My eyes watered. Why was he doing this to them?

"I used to work in the Heartfilia manor. Your mother told us, her few most faithful servants, about her past and what was hidden in the box. She only told Spetto where it was hidden, which infuriated me. I wanted the scale. Why should you have it, a bratty little girl? After dear Layla passed, I searched the entire house relentlessly for it, until your father approached me one day and laid me off. He said, with only the two of you left, there was no need for extra servants like me. I was furious. I've waited all these years, building up my powers as a wish mage, until this day occurred. Lucy Heartfilia's 17th birthday. The day she would get this package.

"I honestly didn't intend to hurt your friends. I was simply going to knock on the door and ask politely for it. You would have given it to me. They just got in my way." Erza was kneeling in the dirt, breathing hard in her Lightning Empress Armor. Gray was weakly trying to stand beside her. Happy was a distance away from everyone else, unconscious near the trees. And Natsu was still laying flat on his back on the ground. How could Cleo have done this in such a short amount of time, so quietly?

"I don't believe you," I hissed. There was no way. My mom never would have hired a jerk like this.

"You don't, don't you?" Cleo laughed. He calmly strode into the house, leaving me alone with my suffering friends. Should I go in and bring him out before he takes the scale, or should I stay and help my friends? Cleo made the decision for me when he came back out a minute later, Mrs. Spetto in tow.

"Didn't we use to work together?" Cleo asked, holding the elderly woman by her hair. My blood boiled. My friends can take care of themselves most of the times, but he was hurting an innocent woman that also happened to be close to me.

"It's true, Mistress Lucy! And he was just as rude and horrid then as he is now!" Spetto cried.

"If you were just inside, why didn't you grab the box and leave us alone already?" I asked. I'd rather he take the scale then continue hurting my friends.

"I'll get that after I'm through with you al. Now that I think about it, killing your friends will probably be the only way I can drain you of your power without a fight." The nonchalant way he said it made my anger snap.

"Gate of the Lion: Leo!" My orange haired friend stood in front of me.

"Regulus, grant me power." Loke held up his fist as golden light started to surround it.

"Why can't people in this guild just surrender peacefully?" Cleo sighed to himself. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Lion. If you hurt me, I'll hurt your friends."

"You won't have the chance to," Loke said, running straight for Cleo. Cleo stepped behind Mrs. Spetto, using her as a human shield. Loke stopped his fist a millisecond before he would have made contact with my old servant.

"What I tell ya?" Cleo said, shoving Spetto to the ground a few feet away. Bero and Aed rushed from the house and helped her up. They ran together back to a waiting Mr. Ribbon, who slammed the door behind them. The curtains twitched when the 4 peeked their heads around to watch.

I breathed a sigh of relief. If nothing else, at least they were safe for now.

In the meantime, Loke was throwing punch after punch at Cleo. He took them all without stumbling.

"One benefit of being a wish mage is that I'm immune to attacks from spirits," Cleo said to me around Loke. "And now, you've annoyed me. Meteor Shower!" He raised his arms to the sky and tilted his head back, laughing maniacally. Small chunks of flaming rock fell from the sky and pelted my already bruised and bleeding friends and me, knocking us all down. Loke apologized and returned to the spirit world when the rocks started burning his suit and skin.

"I can also use the power of the stars! North Star!" he yelled. Blinding white stars flew from behind him and hit me square on, burning my exposed skin.

"Lucy!" Gray and a finally awake Natsu screamed. I was blown back through the air and landed with a hard thud on the dirt. I couldn't move. My limbs felt like 100 ton blocks. All I could do was watch as my friends stood and fought for me, getting hurt more and more, until none of them were moving. How could he be so strong? This was all my fault. Cleo raised one hand, charging up power.

"You've all been so bothersome, making me wait even longer to get my prize. Let's see how much pain I can put you in before I leave," he said, lining his hand up with Natsu.

I bolted from my place on the ground as time moved in slow motion. My body burned with the movement. Erza and Gray were gaping at the power Cleo was summoning. The air was electric. Natsu struggled to stand up. Was he planning on taking this attack head on? If he got hit with this, it would all be over for him. I can't let that happen. He can't die because of me. I dove head first into the middle of the blast.

"Meteor Magic: Granting Wish!"

That was when I made the biggest mistake of the day.

_I wish this would stop! I wish I could take everyone's pain away!_ The thought slipped out of my mind without m noticing.

"I see your wish, and it has been granted!" Cleo cheered as I was thrown back into Natsu, who was screaming at me. Cleo vanished. Natsu and I fell to the ground, him acting as the pillow to soften the blow. It didn't matter. I was in too much pain to have felt something like that.

My ears felt stopped up. I couldn't hear anything other than my heart weakly pounding in my chest. I stared dizzily above me.

Has the sky always been blue? I wonder why. And why are there little cotton balls floating through it? Since when does cotton fly? Anguish knocked me out of my random thoughts.

My entire body was drained. I felt like I was just run over by a truck. I felt the sharp sting of cuts and bruises covering my entire body, from head to toe, even though I'd only been hit twice. None of these injuries were here a minute ago, and not all of them could have come from Granting Wish…

"LUCY!" Natsu's voice broke into my head, jerking me out of my own mind. He shook me gently, cradling my head in his giant warm hands.

"Damn it, Cleo," Erza muttered to herself, sitting beside Natsu and me. "Lucy, can you hear us?"

"Lucy?" Gray asked, crouching above me. I moaned in response. The pain was excruciating.

"Are you guys ok?" Erza asked, checking on the others quickly.

"Aye," Happy said, joining the huddle.

"Surprisingly, yes. I don't feel any pain at all," Gray admitted.

"Me neither," Natsu said, not taking his eyes off mine. Their faces were back to normal, not showing any hint of the fierce battle they'd had only a few minutes ago. Something clicked in my muddled brain. I used the minimal strength I had left to grab Natsu's hand. I dug my nails as hard as I could into his palm. Searing pain shot through my hand in the exact same spot.

"Lucy! Why would you be so reckless? You could've been killed!" Natsu scolded, uncharacteristically angry. He rested one hand on my cheek. His warmth was pleasant at first, until his hand accidently slid over one of my cuts. The pain overshadowed my now somewhat clear mind.

"He granted my wish," I whispered, closing my eyes.

**And there is chapter 5! The main plot has been revealed, and I hope you like it enough to stick with this story! Happy reading, Fairies! **


	6. Chapter 6

"Is everyone ok?" I asked, slowly sitting up. We were somehow back in the medical room at Fairy Tail. How long have I been out? I was a little disappointed. I never got to say goodbye to Mrs. Spetto and the others. Natsu was on the edge of the bed, holding my hand. I didn't feel or see any cuts on my body, probably thanks to Wendy, although I did still feel drained. Natsu carefully pushed my shoulders back down, and I flinched. My shoulder was killing me for some reason.

"You got hit really hard," he said. I could see he was still angry in the way his mouth was set and how he was almost glaring at me. I was about to apologize when the medical room's door slammed open. Jet rushed in carrying Levy, with Droy, Wendy, and Charle following close behind.

"Levy-chan!" I gasped.

"She was knocked out by the guys we were fighting. She got hurt really bad on her shoulder!" Droy sobbed. Natsu moved over to hover beside her bed. When nobody was looking, I rolled to the side of the bed, putting all my weight on my left shoulder. Sharp pain was stabbing through me, although it was nothing compared to the pain I'd been in after fighting Cleo. I bit my tongue to keep from making a sound.

"Levy, I'm sorry!" Jet cried.

"Guys, I'm completely fine," Levy said, leaning against the headboard.

"LEVY!" her team shrieked, squishing her in a group hug. I stood up unsteadily and staggered to the bathroom. Nobody saw me leave. Wendy busied herself checking Levy over to see if she needed any healing, while Natsu talked to Jet and Droy about who the bandits were.

"This is weird. I know I was bleeding from this shoulder earlier when I first got hit, but now there isn't even a mark…" Levy said confusedly. The door to the bathroom clicked quietly behind me. I wasn't very surprised when I pulled down the neck of my shirt and saw a giant gash in my shoulder. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but there were brown flakes of dried blood covering it and the inside of my shirt. How had it not stained the white fabric? Hissing in pain, I poured some water onto my hand and tried to clean up the wound a little. I accidently pressed too hard and made it start bleeding again. I grabbed the hand towel hanging beside the sink and held it over my wound. I didn't want anyone to know about this.

Should I try to reverse the curse? Didn't I want to be able to take everyone's pain away?_Yeah, but you didn't want to have it all yourself,_ the rational part of my brain thought. Would it be better for Fairy Tail if I just continued to feel their pain for them? We'd be able to help more people, and nobody would get seriously hurt anymore. _Yeah, nobody but you._ Should I sacrifice myself for the good of the guild? _Lucy, you and everyone else know you're a wimp when it comes to pain. You couldn't make it one week with the curse. _Shut up!

"Lucy?" Natsu called, knocking on the door. I jumped. _Tell him! He can make this all better. He can help!_ Don't tell him! It's my fault he was hurt, so I should be punished for it. _This isn't about punishment, this is about LIVING! _He'll only get angry and hunt down Cleo and get himself hurt. _HE SHOULD GET ANGRY AT CLEO. CLEO IS THE ONE THAT DID THIS TO YOU. He can help make the pain go away! _If he gets hurt, he can also make me feel even more pain!

"Lucy? Come out here! You should be lying down!" Natsu said when I took too long to answer, knocking a little harder. I wiped my shoulder with the towel, smearing more blood over it. Damn. Too late to fix it now. I shoved the towel in the cabinet, hoping nobody would notice it if someone came in. I pulled my shirt back up and walked into the room. I had to make this quick, or the blood would stain my shirt and give everything away. If only there had been some bandages in there!

"I have to go!" I said, rushing underneath Natsu's outstretched arm and to the door, grabbing my belt with my keys on it on the way out. I tried to go straight for the guild door, but Erza and Gray cornered me halfway there.

"Lucy! Are you feeling ok?" Gray asked.

"You shouldn't be standing. You are still too weak. Go back and lay down!" Erza insisted, trying to guide me back to the medical room. I twisted out of her grasp before she could touch my shoulder and danced ahead a few steps.

"I'm fine guys, don't worry! I thought I'd sleep better at home, and there were some things I had to do, so I'll see you!" I said, running outside before anyone else could stop me or see the pain on my face. Whatever had hit Levy was strong. I made it home in record time, where I collapsed onto my bed, breathing hard. The warm even air breezed in through my window.

I saw my gifts had been cleaned up and put back in the bag. My suitcase and the box holding the star certificate were placed neatly on the floor beside my desk. The shoebox-sized package Mrs. Spetto had given me was on my chair. My shoulder was on fire when I tried to get up to grab the gift. I stayed where I was instead, staring up at my ceiling.

_What am I going to do now?_

* * *

Natsu's PoV

Lucy ran straight past me. I turned to face Wendy and team Shadow Gear. They looked just as confused as me.

"Lucy-san shouldn't be moving around too much," Wendy said. "I wasn't completely done healing her."

"What happened to Lucy? Erza questioned, barging into the room.

"What'd you do to her?" Gray asked me.

"You accusin' me of somthin?" I asked, butting heads with him.

"You were the last one to see her, flame brain," Gray said, shoving back against me.

"Ice Princess!"

"STOP!" Erza commanded, tearing us away from each other forcefully. "We need to figure out what is going on with Lucy."

Gray and I shivered in fear from Erza, and then nodded. We started walking around the room, trying to find some clue as to why the blond took off like that.

"She ran out like there were bunches of fished in front of her!" Happy said, drooling slightly.

"She looked like she was afraid…" Levy added.

I stepped into the bathroom Lucy had been in not five minutes ago and looked around. Nothing seemed weird, besides the cabinet door. It was sticking out, like there was something keeping it from shutting all the way. It squeaked when I opened it. A towel fell out. I flipped it over and peered at the red side. Was this blood? It smelled like Lucy. I held it up for the others to see in the main room. They all gasped.

"Wendy, I thought you healed her?" Erza said. Wendy nodded with big eyes.

"I did! I wasn't finished, but all of her wounds were gone! That had to have happened after I finished…" she trailed off. We all stared at the bed Lucy had been sitting in before she left.

"You know, before she passed out, I heard her say 'he granted my wish' or something like that. Do you think that had anything to do with this?" Gray asked. Erza started pacing.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go and ask her what wrong!" I said. Erza stopped me from leaving with a glare.

"She'll deny everything, unless we have some kind of proof. Do any of you find it weird that after Lucy got hit with that attack from Cleo, we all felt fine? And when we got back, there weren't any injuries on us, but Lucy looked like she'd just been through Hell and back?"

"And earlier, I got hurt, but when we got back here there was nothing wrong with my shoulder," Levy inputted.

"I feel bad doing this, in case it works, but there's only one way to test what we're all thinking," Gray said, making a fist on top of his open palm. "Ice Make: Cannon!"

Of course, this idiot had to aim straight at me. I jumped out of the way in plenty of time to miss the ice. The giant cannon ball flew right past me and hit a bed on the other side of the room, crumbling it.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked, setting my fist on fire. If this guy wanted a fight, I'd give him one.

"Stupid! I was trying to see if you'd get hurt!" Gray roared, charging at me.

"Of course I wouldn't get hurt by some puny attack like that!" I yelled.

"Stop!" Erza said again, stepping between us. We skidded to a halt before hitting her. "Gray was going somewhere with this. Natsu, hold still." She flashed into her Fire Empress Armor and slashed at my arm with her sword. It wasn't deep, but it left a long scratch. Little dot of blood formed on my skin, but I didn't feel anything.

"Why'd I have to be the test dummy?" I groaned.

"She's your girlfriend, dummy," Gray said. He laughed at my expression.

"She's your girlfriend too! And so is Erza! She's all our friends, not just mine."

Gray face-palmed.

"Hush," Erza said. We stared at my arm, where the cut slowly faded away until my skin was smooth and looked normal again.

"Did you feel that?" Gray asked. I shook my head.

"Dammit. Let's go visit Lucy and see if it's on her now," Erza said, leading the way out of the room. Team Shadow Gear stared after us.

"Don't tell anyone about this," Gray said over his shoulder, shutting the door behind us.

Hold on, Lucy. We're on our way.

**Good morning/ afternoon/ evening/ night Fairies! I'm in a really good mood and I have a lot ready, so multiple chapters today! Make sure you check back every once in a while! I'm planning on 2 or 3 chapters today, so I hope you enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Why are you here?" I spat, backing against the wall. My head was pounding too much for me to sleep, there was a long cut across my forearm that stung like there was lemon juice being poured on it from Mavis knows where, my shoulder was still burning, and now I have to deal with this. Just as I was getting up to change out of my stained shirt and into my pajamas, Cleo showed up in me room.

"Now, that isn't a very nice way of talking to someone who's about to give you presents!" he said, pretending to be offended. He laid a hand over his heart and took a step closer to me. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I don't want anything to do with you. Go away!" I yelled, ignoring his last question. I pushed harder against the wall, as if I could move it if I tried hard enough.

"But don't you want to know how to reverse your wish?" he offered. I hesitated.

"…No… I don't want to know it," I stuttered. Cleo relaxed and sat down on the edge of my bed, playing with my key ring that I'd left there. I gritted my teeth and balled my fists, trying not to snatch them out of his disgusting fingers.

"Ah, I see. You think it would be better for everyone if you just keep taking their pain. Very noble of you, don't you think? Or maybe it just makes you a fool. Tell me, do you plan on telling anyone, or are you going to keep it a secret so no one will try to help you? Do you take this as some kind of punishment for something you've done in the past?"

"You don't know anything about me. Now get out." I was literally shaking in anger and fear.

"Oh, but I was just getting started! Plus, I have another present for you!" In a flash, he stood up and cupped his hands, blowing into them. Shimmery silver powder rushed out of his previously empty palms and landed on me, making me cough. My eyes started watering.

"What did you do to me?" I asked, stumbling away from the cloud hanging in the air.

"Three wishes have been bestowed upon you. Use them well, for every wish comes with a consequence or price to pay," Cleo droned, sounding like he was reading straight from a book. His tone got lighter. "Or something like that. I never really paid attention to the rules!"

Seeing my opportunity when he was distracted, I dove for my keys, but Cleo beat me there. He pushed my window open further and threw the pouch out in one swift movement. There was a quiet thud when it hit the sidewalk outside.

"Tsk tsk tsk." I told you I wasn't done, yet you still want to get rid of me?" He was silent a minute, and then started talking again, a little quicker than before. "It seems your friends have already figured out what's happened, so I guess I need to hurry this up.

"Gift #2, whether you want it or not: the only way to reverse your wish is to do what you think is impossible. You have to get that star dragon's key, and then you have to kill it." He laughed at my expression. "I didn't say it was going to be easy! In fact, it should be rather impossible. You should be happy! You wanted to keep the pain, and now you can!

"Lastly, when you are ready to use one of those wishes, all you have you have to do is drop a little of your blood onto the ground, say your wish out loud, and it will come true."

I shivered. "Aren't you going to try to steal my scale again?" I asked without thinking.

"No, I'll get that after the dragon kills you. Goodbye, Princess. Happy wishing!" Cleo called over his shoulder, jumping out the window and taking off down the street. I slid my back along the wall and collapsed onto the floor.

This can't be happening. My life was so fine a few days ago. I guess I really am stuck with this wish now._I thought that's what you wanted, Mrs. I'll Save the Guild but get Myself Killed Instead._

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, sitting in my window with Happy. He appeared when I hadn't been paying attention, shocking me onto my feet. Gray's head popped out from under my chimney, and Erza walked in through the front door. I wiped the tears I didn't know had formed on the back of my hand and hid the scratched arm behind me. Maybe if I could play it off as an accident, they wouldn't figure out the truth…

My shirt! The blood stain was too much to hide easily… I grabbed the jacket lying on the floor beside me and slipped it on, fake-shivering when the others gave me strange looks.

"Lucy, back when we were fighting Cleo and you were hit with that attack, why did you say he granted your wish? What did you wish for?" Erza asked. I walked across the room and busied myself with cleaning up the papers on my desk. Luckily, the sleeve of my jacket also covered the new scratch.

"Oh, that? That was nothing. I think I was just a little confused. Natsu didn't make a very good pillow when I fell," I tried to joke, although it sounded forced even to me.

"Why were your keys outside?" Happy asked, holding the little brown pack. I froze, but forced myself to slowly walk to him and take them back. My trembling fingers just barely touched his blue fur. I saw confusion in his big eyes.

"I must have accidently dropped them. Thanks for bringing them up," I said through clenched teeth, setting them in my newly de-cluttered desk.

"It's hot in here. Why did you put your jacket on as soon as we came in?" Gray asked, wiggling fully out of my fireplace and standing with his arms crossed.

"What's with the questions?" I tried to say cheerfully. "It just hurts a little, that's all!"

Natsu jumped over my bed from his perch on the window sill and backed me against the same wall Cleo had earlier. When I could move no further, he grabbed my wrist and brought it forward for everyone to see, gently pulling up the sleeve. His touch felt fiery. I held my breath.

The skin around the scratch was an angry red.

"I just scraped it on…my, uh… my door! Yeah, uh, I was closing it behind me, and I guess my arm kinda just got in the way…" I trailed off. The others were looking at me like I'd grown two heads. Natsu reached over to Gray and punched him in the face, and then looked back at me expectantly. It took a few seconds, but the sharp pain rattled my teeth. On instinct, my hands went up to cradle it.

"Oh, Lucy," Erza said, stepping towards me. I backed away from them. Natsu's expression was getting darker by the second. I couldn't take it if he started hating me for what I did.

"I'm fine guys! Really, I promise!" I said, sliding to the side and feeling for the knob to the bathroom. I slammed the bathroom door shut in front of me when I found it. I leaned against it and breathed heavily, trying to regain my composure. There was a loud squeak outside, and then silence. A few minutes later, someone knocked on my door.

"Lucy, it'll be ok," Erza said soothingly. I hesitantly opened the door. Erza, Gray, and Happy had formed a semicircle around the bathroom. Seeing them all standing there with understanding looks on their faced set me off. I rushed into Gray's outstretched arms and buried my face in his shoulder, muffling my cries. Happy clung to my arm and cried with me as Gray's hand came up and stroked the back of my head. Erza joined us, hugging both me and Gray. I usually hated the bone-crushing hugs from Erza, but she took off her armor a second before wrapping her arms around everyone.

"It's ok. Everything'll be fine," Gray promised. I shook my head in frustration and pulled away from him and Erza. Happy looked up at me.

"No, it won't be! I want to keep this pain so I can make up for all the times people have gotten hurt because of me. This is all just karma, and I deserve it! Natsu's never going to talk to me again, meaning I just lost my closest friend and the guy I like, my mom apparently left some impossible job for me to finish, my shoulder is killing me again, and I just want to go back in time to before I even left for Candor!"

"Nobody minded getting hurt for you," Erza said. "We're nakama. We would do anything for you, and anyone else that needed our help."

"Forget the stupid hothead. He's being an idiot, like usual," Gray added.

"If I hadn't run away from home in the first place and joined Fairy Tail, none of it would have even happened."

"If we thought anything was your fault, we never would have saved you. Me, Gray, Levy, Master; everyone loves you. We're a family. The past is in the past, and there's nothing we can do to change it now." That's not true. If I were nakama, whether they thought it was my fault or not, they still would have come for me. I bit my tongue before I could say that out loud.

"It's true! We all love you!" Happy piped up.

"Nothing matters except for reversing your wish. You can explain everything to Master tomorrow, and give us the full story. No matter what you want to do, you can't live like this forever. Pain is a part of life. It makes us stronger. You'll be doing more harm to everyone if you stay how you are now," Gray said, guiding me towards my bed.

"Sleep now and we'll get Wendy to heal you in the morning when we get to the guild," Erza said.

I was tucked under my covers by my three best friends. Erza climbed in beside me, Gray crashed over on the couch, and Happy curled up on my pillow. I went to sleep with new hopes. Maybe we can fix this somehow. Maybe I can find a loophole in the wish, and I can get rid of it without attempting to kill a dragon. Maybe Natsu will forgive me.

_Yeah, and maybe you'll get yourself killed before that can happen._


	8. Chapter 8

"You WHAT?" Natsu asked, jumping up from his chair. He quieted down after a disapproving glance from Master. I sighed. I should have expected this.

"I wished that I could take everyone's pain away," I said, forcing myself not to sound guilty. I hadn't meant for it to turn out like this. I didn't even know what Granting Wish did when I thought it! Erza and Gray didn't look very surprised.

"And you were just going to stay like this and not tell anyone?" Natsu asked. I nodded sheepishly. "You should never have jumped in front of me! I could have taken that hit and been perfectly fine!"

Why was he acting so strange and cold? It's not like I purposely threw myself into danger and begged for this to happen. I was trying to PROTECT him. Although I kind of understand, if he were the one jumping in front of me, I personally would have just been relieved he was alive. I'd yell at him, but then everything would be ok. I wouldn't make him feel bad for trying to save me.

"Natsu!" Erza yelled. He flinched in fear. I shook my head sadly. This was starting to go downhill. Master noticed the tears building in my eyes.

"Natsu, go wait outside," he commanded.

"But—," he argued.

"Go," Master said again. Natsu stormed out of the room angrily and slammed the door behind him.

"Why is he so mad at me? I just didn't want him to get hurt!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands. Cold fingers rested on my shoulder in a soothing manner.

"He's just being an idiot, like always," Gray tried to console me.

"That aside, what do you want to do?" Master asked.

"I don't think reversing the curse is possible. It's not like I'll ever be strong enough to kill a dragon, even if I wanted to," I said. Master nodded.

"Erza, Gray, could you go check on Natsu? Make sure he isn't destroying the guild again." They nodded and left silently without complaint. When he was sure they were gone, he continued. "I will allow you to stay like this for the time being until we can figure out what to do. I know you are strong enough to live through this, but it will not stay for long. I will look into matters and try to help." I nodded in thanks.

I would be fine. I wanted to do this. It will hurt like hell, but at least I'd be helping my friends for a while.

"Let's go let the guild know." I nodded and hesitantly followed him down the stairs. I let my bangs cover my face so nobody would see how I really felt in my eyes. Master tore down most of the papers on the request board, earning many gasps. He stood on the bar behind me and began his speech.

"Listen up, brats. From this moment on, until this matter is fixed, there will be no more difficult jobs taken, and NO MORE FIGHTING. Am I clear?" Master yelled to the guild. Most people nodded with confused looks, while others stared in anger.

"Now, let me explain. A few days ago, Lucy and her team were stacked by a wish made named Cleo. Cleo had defeated everyone single-handedly, and Natsu was the only one left standing at the time. Lucy jumped in front of him the next time Cleo attacked." Everyone stared at me now. I couldn't see them, but I felt their eyes burning holes in my head. "The specific technique he used was a form of Ancient Magic. He read the person's wish and made it come true. Lucy had wished that she could take away all of her friends' pain. Cleo twisted her wish, and now none of you will feel any pain. Only Lucy does. When one of you gets hurt, she takes the damage on her body." Gasps ran through the crows. Levy pushed forward and hugged me. I kept my eyes trained on the floor. One by one, everyone put a hand on a spot they'd been hurt since I was attacked. I'd felt most of them, although they were mostly just little pinches that disappeared a few minutes later.

"It was stupid. It's Lucy's fault she has this curse now! She shouldn't have jumped in front of me!" Natsu muttered from the back of the group. Everyone glared daggers at him. Happy flew up and peaked under my hair at my face.

"Natsu, you made Lucy cry!" he accused. Natsu didn't say anything. I hardened my eyes and rubbed my tears away with my knuckles. Staring up at my friends for the first time, I gently twisted out of Levy's arms and walked straight to Natsu. The people split apart easily to let me through.

"Lucy' I didn't mean—," at least he had the decency to look ashamed. My hand made a pleasing smack when it made contact with his face. His head snapped to the side, exposing a bright red handprint. A second later, it disappeared, and by the looks my friends were giving me, it was now on my face in the exact same place. I ignored the sharp sting. It was worth it to see him finally realize how hurt I was.

"Idiot," I spat out, and ran from the guild.

"Lucy, wait!" Natsu called after me. I didn't. I just ran, and ran, and ran, until I was deep in a forest and had no clue how to get back.

* * *

Erza's PoV

After Lucy left, everyone was either afraid to move, or afraid to stop moving. Half the guild stood in shock, while the other half paced the hall, muttering to themselves or planning ways to fix this. There were a few (including Happy, Master, Gray, and Levy) that stared at Natsu like they were going to kill him. I didn't blame them. I was doing the same thing.

It's not uncommon for Lucy to occasionally dish out a powerful Lucy Kick, but this slap was definitely different. She packed all of her sadness and rage into it, making my heart twist sadly to see her face. She hated doing it, but it had to be done.

"I am such an idiot," Natsu whispered, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"Yeah, you are. You didn't notice that what you said hurt her! Lucy thought you understood why she did it, and now you blame her for this!" Gray spat out.

"It was a stupid thing to do! She was already hurt. I could have handled it myself!" Natsu argued.

"You dense flame brain! That's not the POINT. She did it because she loves you! Everyone with eyes can see that!" Levy yelled. Natsu froze.

"Get your ass out there and find Lucy, or else," I threatened. Natsu nodded and took off to who knows where, Happy flying right behind him. When they were gone, Mira rounded on Levy angrily.

"He was supposed o figure that out himself!" she almost yelled.

Levy shrugged. "At least he knows now. He can do what he wants with that information."

* * *

Lucy's PoV

Natsu is such an idiot. Does he really not realize that I was scared, and it was just an impulse to jump in front of him? I didn't want him getting hurt because of me! That's already happened enough! Everyone always gets hurt because of me. But they don't have to anymore. Now I can take all their suffering away from them for now. At least, until we find a way to turn this curse around.

Erza was right, in a way. I'm not helping anyone with this. Pain makes people stronger, and with nobody feeling it, they're never going to grow. They'll turn cocky and ignorant.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled.

"Lucy!" Happy mimicked him. I ducked being a tree. Why was he coming to find me? If he lectures me about what I did, I won't be able to stop myself from ripping his head off. And that wouldn't be good for me.

It was so unfair! How was I supposed to make myself feel better when the person I slap can't even feel it?

Warm arms wrapped around my waist.

"Found you!" Natsu said, as if we'd been playing Hide and Seek like children. I have to admit, he had guts. I tried to keep my anger from seeping out. I promise I did. _Ah, screw it._ I rammed my elbow as hard as I could into the stupid dragon slayer's stomach.

"Ouch!" I coughed. The air was knocked out of me and I leaned heavily against the tree I'd been previously hiding behind.

"Lucy!" Natsu said, reaching out for me again.

"Don't touch me," I said.

"I understand you're mad, but-,"

"I'm not mad. I'm pissed. YOU ACT LIKE I WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN. I JUMPED IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE IF I HADN'T, YOU'D BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. THAT ATTACK HURT LIKE HELL, AND YOU WERE ALREADY IN ENOUGH PAIN. I MADE THAT WISH TO TAKE IT AWAY, AND TO TAKE AWAY ERZA AND GRAY'S. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD COME TRUE. AND YOU TREAT ME LIKE THE BAD GUY!" I shrieked, venting my anger. This would have to take the place of not being able to hurt anyone. Natsu stood there silently.

"Are you done?" he asked patiently. I screamed in frustration. Natsu wrapped his arms around me and didn't let go when I squirmed. I punched him, kicked him, slapped him, anything I could to get him away from me.

I knew he couldn't feel any of it, and I was only hurting myself, but I didn't care.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like this, Luce. I promise I won't be so stupid again. And I promise I'll help you break this curse," he said into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I relaxed into his arms slightly. I could almost hear him smiling, if that makes any sense.

"I haven't forgiven you," I said, pulling away. He grinned his giant toothy smile confidently anyway.

"They llllllllliiiiiiike each other," Happy purred from the branch above us.

**That's all for today! Have a nice weekend, Fairies!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hello Lucy!" Mirajane said cheerfully from behind the bar. I slouched on my stool in front of her and rested my head on my arms. "What's wrong?"

Since people found out about my curse a little less than a week ago, they've all tiptoed around me. They'll say hello, ask how I am, and quickly back away. This isn't the normal guild I know and love. This is a bunch of wizards scared for their nakama. In a way, I appreciate that they're worried, but I just want to be treated normally again. Everyone's afraid that I'm a ticking time bomb, about to explode, which doesn't even make any sense. Happy, Mira, Erza, Levy, Wendy, and Gray are the only ones who still treat me like a normal person. Natsu is a little better than others, but he constantly asks if I'm ok, or he tried to plan ridiculous ways to reverse the wish.

"My head is killing me," I groaned. Mira patted my hair gently.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked carefully. I shook my head gingerly. "Just yell if there's anything I can do." I nodded thankfully, still not lifting my head. I heard her footsteps fade away.

It feels weird saying this, but I really miss the fighting that almost always went on in here. It made the place seem more home-like, like one big family that can never agree on anything. There's not even a ton of arguing anymore; just loud talking and sudden glances my way.

"LUCY!" Natsu yelled, charging at me from across the room. Happy flew behind him and landed right next to my head. I sat up, but kept one hand rubbing my temple, hoping that would relieve some of the pressure. "Do you want to go search for that key?"

After Natsu brought me back from the woods, the four of us (five, including Happy) went back to Master's office for another meeting. Natsu kept his hand firmly connected with mine, signaling the little butterflies in my belly to start dancing. I explained to the others the only way to reverse the wish. I told them how my mother left me Libra's key, and how I needed the last one of the 12 zodiacs before I could call on Celeste. Since then, if Natsu's had any free time, he's either gone by himself or taken me and Happy with him to search for it.

I shook my head no. "I really don't feel good, Natsu. Maybe another time," I said sadly. I loved going places with Natsu, especially since he's been dragging me by the hand everywhere lately, and not letting go when we get to our destination. He's been acting a lot more different lately, and I hope it's not just because this stupid wish is making him feel bad for me.

I could barely think straight through this migraine.

"Is someone hurt?" Happy asked. Concern clouded Natsu's eyes.

"I—I don't know. I think I just need to go home and lay down," I said, standing up wobbly from my seat. I was trudging to the main doors when Natsu caught up with my and grabbed my wrist. He wrapped one arm around my waist and lifted my arm around his neck.

"You can barely walk. Let me help you get home," he said seriously. I grudgingly nodded. People stared as we made our way towards the entrance, before returning back to what they were previously doing. And that's when I felt it.

A torturous pain made me double over, clutching my stomach. Something was very wrong. Natsu had already been half-carrying me, but he didn't expect all my weight to fall forward. The thud of hitting the floor reverberated through my body when I fell to the ground. Cana was the first person to look over and notice me in the time between me falling and Natsu yelling. The drunken state she was in a minute ago immediately disappeared. She lifted my head onto her lap carefully and added her voice to Natsu's. Natsu was crouched beside me helplessly. Happy sat on Natsu's shoulder with tears in his eyes. There was a sharp slash across my legs, then my hands, then my arms. I looked around blearily and saw red.

What team was out right now? Shadow Gear was here, Erza and Gray were here, Lisanna and Elfman, even the Raijinshu and Laxus were here for once! So who….?

Wendy and Romeo! Although Master had taken down most of the requests, there were still a few easy jobs on the board. Wendy and Romeo were going to go on their first mission together this morning! Macao was worried and obsessing all day yesterday about it, and I guess it's for good reason now. At this rate, they were going to be killed. No, wait, at this rate, I was going to be killed.

"Wendy and Romeo," I gasped out to Natsu. He yelled out my message to Macao and Wakaba, and they took off running towards where the children were supposed to be. Natsu was about to follow them, but I grabbed his wrist. "Please… stay…." He hesitated, but nodded resolutely and sat next to me, holding my hand tightly. I curled up on the ground, using Cana's legs as a pillow, and tried to ignore the crowd of people forming a ring around us while trying to stay conscious.

"Lucy?" Master Makarov asked, appearing beside me. I looked up and tried to smile, most likely failing.

"I'm okay," I whispered. No sooner had the words passed through my lips when the pain became too much and I passed out.

* * *

Natsu's PoV

"Is Lucy going to be ok, Natsu?" Happy asked me, sitting on Lucy's pillow in the infirmary. After she passed out, I'd carried her in and tucked her into a bed. About a half hour later, Wendy and Romeo rushed in. Wendy tried to heal Lucy, but she'd already used too much power fighting against the guys that ambushed them. Charle forced her to stop when she was about to pass out too. Romeo stayed silent, but he trembled slightly. He and Charle guided the crying Wendy back into the main hall to rest up and get something to eat before she tried again.

Mira came in when they were gone with an armload of fresh bandages. I helped her change them when the first set had been soaked through around Lucy's legs. I think Mira tried talking to me, but I wasn't really paying attention. All I could focus on was the beautiful injured girl in front of me.

If only she hadn't jumped in front of me when that Geo guy attacked. She has to suffer through all this pain because of me. If I hadn't been so damn cocky, I would've taken the bastard out before he had the chance to do any real damage. Maybe then Lucy would be ok.

Was Levy telling the truth about how Lucy felt? I guess she would know. Lucy always tells stuff to other people and not to me. I wonder why. Maybe if she likes me too, I can tell her I like her. But then what would happen? Would we turn into Biska and Alzack? Oh shit…

If I tell her, then do I have to propose to her?!

"Natsu?" Happy asked again. I realized I'd been staring at Lucy's face the whole time and quickly looked away, banishing that last thought I'd had.

"She'll be fine!" I said, grinning toothily. "She's Lucy! We just have to find that last key, and then she can find Celeste, and then everything will be ok!"

"But doesn't she have to kill Celeste to make the wish go away?" Happy sniffed.

"We can find a way around that!" I said confidently.

_Hopefully._


	10. Chapter 10

"Natsu?" I murmured, turning my head to the side. His forehead was resting on the edge of the bed, and my hand was clenched in his. He snored quietly in his sleep, muttering something unintelligible. There was bright moonlight filtering in through the window beside me. _It's a full moon_, I thought to myself randomly, remembering the little calendar on my wall back home. Natsu's pink hair stuck up in every direction, just like usual, but it looked messier somehow. I couldn't stop staring at him.

Do I really love him? I don't know what true love feels like. I've never felt this way about anyone else before. I think I do, but who am I to know for sure? What could this feeling be besides love? The butterflies in my stomach, the way I'm always happier when I'm near him, how my heart beats five times faster when he accidently touches me or brushes against me.

There was a dull throbbing in my legs and arms. The white bandages covering my legs blended in with my unusually pale skin. I guess Wendy and Romeo were in serious trouble. I'm glad I could feel this for them. They're so young, they don't deserve this much pain yet. I hope Macao doesn't go too hard on his son.

Natsu sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the back of his hand. I hurriedly closed mine just before he could notice I was awake.

"Still not up yet Luce? That's fine. You'll wake up for sure today. And as soon as Wendy can finish healing you, we can go look for that other key," he said tiredly. He sounded exhausted. "I'm sorry for what I said the other day. I was just mad that I couldn't protect you like I always do. I hope you know that I love you."

My heart stuttered before pounding double time. He said he loved me. Is it love like how I love him, or the love he feels for his nakama? Could he possible know that I feel the same way for him? Or… I got angry suddenly. Did Levy tell him that I love him? I swear to Mavis I will kill her if she's the reason he's saying this. My spirits lifted again. Could it really be true? Could he honestly love me?

"I love you too," I said. I squeezed his hand tightly and opened my eyes. He was stunned. It doesn't matter whether he feels the same or not anymore. As soon as I said it, I knew it was true in my heart. But with that feeling, came fear. This is going to make things so much more difficult now.

"Lucy! You're awake!" he cheered, leaning down to hug me. I smiled and tried to lift my arms high enough to wrap them around his neck and failed.

"You shouldn't move! You're still really hurt!" he said quickly, backing away. He still held onto my hand though. He started muttering to himself about things he should do. "More bandages? No, I don't think I could do that myself. Blankets?" He put a hand to my forehead. "No, she feels warm. Maybe. I guess I'm not a good judge for that. Umm, what else could she need?" His head suddenly snapped up. I could see him going through his thoughts, just now realizing what I said when I woke up. His eyes popped open even wider.

"I'm ok, Natsu. But you could help me," I said, carefully sitting up. He rushed to push me back down, but I shook my head and held my hand up. "I just need some fresh air. Will you help me?" He grinned and took my hand. I tried standing by myself, and almost collapsed back onto the bed. My legs folded under me from lack of use and slight pain. Natsu swiftly picked my legs up from underneath me and carried me on his back through all the doors. I laughed quietly when he started walking in zigzags.

"Let's go to the river," I said softly, afraid suddenly that if I spoke too loud it would ruin the peacefulness of the night. He nodded and set off for the river hidden in the trees behind the guild. Everyone knew about it, but not many hung out back here. This was usually me and Levy's place to read, when we felt like it.

The night was silent, except for the crackle of branches and leaves under Natsu's feet and the hooting of owls in the treetops. A few minutes later, we arrived. The water reflected the moon in the sky above, leaving a breathtaking sight. Natsu set me down on the bank and I dipped my feet into the shallow water. The bandages were soaked in seconds, but I didn't care. The cold water felt good. The pink haired boy sat beside me and leaned back on his hands.

"You really scared me," he said. I looked at him quickly. He was staring across the water, his cheeks slightly pink. Mine heated up in response, and I stared at the ripples I made in the water.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you jump in front of me?"

It took me a minute to think of the right answer. "Because I love you. I didn't want to see you get hurt even more because of me. I was scared, so I acted without thinking. It was instinct."

He was silent for so long, I thought he would reject me. Panic filled me to the brim. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe I imagined him saying he loved me at the guild. I was about to try to take it back when he wrapped his left arm around my shoulders.

"That was a really stupid thing to do," he said. I nodded in agreement; it had been. "But thank you."

Every feeling in my body subsided, save for content. I leaned my head against his shoulder lightly. We sat there staring at the water for what seemed like hours. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when my eyes started dropping. I tried to force them open, to stay awake just a little longer so I could enjoy the last of this night with Natsu, but I couldn't help it when they finally shut and didn't open again.

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"Lu-chan!" The little blue haired girl called in delight when I opened my eyes. I smiled warmly at her.

"Levy-chan!" I said. She hugged me tightly. She was one of the few people that still treated me normally. She chose to ignore my wish for now, which I was so grateful for.

"I heard you had some fun last night," she said evilly, winking enough to make it look like she had an eye twitch. My cheeks burned when I thought of what happened this morning with Natsu.

"Uh…Well, you see…I…." I stuttered, causing my friend to laugh.

"I guess you forgave him! I wouldn't have so easily, if I were you!" she giggled.

"How did you know about that?" I asked.

"Well, I came in early this morning so I could check on you, but you weren't anywhere, and neither was Natsu, who said he'd watch you all night. So I panicked a little, but then Mira got here and said that you probably went outside somewhere. Just a few hours ago, when half the guild was already here, Natsu walked in carrying you on his back. He laid you down in here and took off with Happy. He said he was going to look for that key again!" she said. I smiled at my clasped hands. He was really going through so much trouble to help me. I guess he really does love me.

"Wait, does that mean…?" I asked. My stomach dropped to my knees.

"Yep!" Levy laughed maniacally as my face turned white as a sheet.

"You're kidding me," I whispered. My heart beat nervously.

"Nope! She definitely saw him carry you in!"

"Did she talk to him before he left?"

"He bolted as soon as you were in bed!" I made a mental note to murder Natsu later.

"Levy, you have to get me out of here! You've gotta help me hide!" I begged desperately.

"No way!" she said. The door squeaked open, and I froze.

"Levy!" I hissed.

"Sorry, Lu-chan! Nothing I can do now!" she said, kissing me on the forehead before dancing out of the room. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"So, Lucy, what's this I've been hearing about you and Natsu spending the night together?" Erza asked.

"You're more than friends now, aren't you?" Mira questioned.

Levy abandoned me. She had left me to die at the hands of the two scariest wizards in the world.

**I have to apologize for the brief hiatus that I suddenly went on. Things have gotten really busy recently, with end of year testing and school and getting a (kind of) summer job. I have chapter all the way up to 40-ish, so don't worry, this story will go on for much longer! I hope you can all forgive me! The story will return to its usual scheduling (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, with random days in between). See you soon, Fairies!**


	11. Chapter 11 FLUFER!

**I plan on making multiple chapters like this randomly throughout the story, so I hope you like this one! They'll be little fluffy/ humorous chapters about Lucy and Natsu or other couples I like. They won't be very long, but I'll try to make them the best I can!**

Lucy shrunk back into her fluffy pillow in fear. Mira closed the door behind her and joined Erza at the foot of the bed.

"Where were you all night?" Erza asked.

"W-we were ou-out at the river," the terrified blonde chattered nervously. The two S-Class girls crossed their arms at the same time and stared at her dangerously.

"Are you two a couple now?" Mira asked hopefully. Lucy looked down, fiddling with the blanket while trying to hide her dark cheeks.

"I knew it!" Mira squealed. "I knew when he brought you in this morning there was something different between you two!" She bounced up and down excitedly beside Erza. Erza smiled, but didn't join in the celebration.

"Lucy, you have a very important mission now," Erza spoke seriously. Lucy nodded. She knew she shouldn't get distracted at the moment by her heart when she needs to find a way to get rid of the wish.

"I know," she said. "I need to find Pisces' key, and then-,"

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about your mission, which I have cleverly titled 'Keep Erza Informed'." Mira smiled even wider at the mention of this; she apparently knew what the red head was talking about and enjoyed it. "If Natsu ever does anything inappropriate, hurtful, or rude to you, you are to tell me at once."

"And I expect updates on your relationship on a daily basis," Mira added, sighing happily.

And so they continued, lecturing poor Lucy about do's and do not's of keeping them both well informed. On the bright side, Lucy realized she'd much rather be lectured than yelled at.

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Natsu was getting much of the same treatment, albeit much worse, the second he walked back into the guild about an hour later. Happy ditched him when he saw the hoard of people waiting for his return.

"Hurt her and I'll kill you," Gray threatened. It seemed like there was a line a mile long, all leading to the scared dragon slayer. In the first place, he didn't know exactly what they were talking about. Hurt Lucy? They should know he would never do something like that! He loves her now, so why would he ever hurt her? They should be saying all this to Lucy; she's the one who always kicks him in the head!

"Treat Blondie good," Laxus said next, keeping his arms crossed. Although Laxus isn't the most emotional person in the guild, he cares about Lucy more than some may think. Besides being nakama, he thinks of her almost as a little sister, along with many of the other male and female wizards in the guild. He stalked away as quietly and casually as he came over. Gajeel was next. Things were just getting weirder and weirder for Natsu.

"Don't be an idiot, Salamander," he said. Levy was right behind him with Pantherlily.

"If you're going to tell me you'll kill me if I hurt her, Gray beat you to it," Natsu said annoyingly.

"Oh, I won't kill you if you hurt her. I'll keep you alive, and torture you for the rest of your life." The short blunette's usually cheery mood was replaced with the darkest aura Natsu had ever seen. His teeth chattered in fear.

A bang drew everyone's attention towards the infirmary room. The door was slammed shut behind Natsu's two worst nightmares, who were marching over to him. He judged the possibility of escape, deciding against it. Erza would only punish him worse if he tried to run.

"If you break her heart, I shall break you with no remorse," Erza said. How do you break someone's heart? Natsu didn't even know that was possible. Did it happen if you got hit in the chest too hard? He made a note in his mind to make sure Lucy never got hit in her chest again, just in case.

Once they were sure Natsu had gotten the message, Mira smiled and tilted her head in the direction they had come from.

"She's asking for you!" Mira sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. Natsu was up and out of his seat in an instant.

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"Did you get the same talk from Mira and Erza?" Lucy asked when Natsu barged into the room a minute after said girls left, panting. He nodded before joining her on the bed.

"My life was threatened!" Natsu whined. Lucy giggled. Although they didn't touch, Lucy felt Natsu's warmth. It comforted her, in a way. Natsu smiled when he saw Lucy laughing. At least she was feeling better now. Feeling slightly worried when he thought of Erza's words, he put his hands over her… upper chest and squeezed.

The warm feeling Lucy had a second ago vanished.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" she shrieked, shoving him off the bed with all her strength. He tumbled away and landed on the floor with a loud thump. Lucy covered her chest with her arms, feeling extremely violated and embarrassed.

"I was makin sure your heart wasn't broken! Erza said if it broke she'd kill me!" Natsu said. Lucy face-palmed. _Of course. He doesn't even know what a broken heart is._

"Natsu, you idiot," Lucy laughed, suddenly finding the whole situation funny.

_As the camera zooms out from the couple, there was an audible smack and more yelling._

"JUST BECAUSE I LAUGHED DOESN'T MEAN DO IT AGAIN, PERVERT!"

** Let me know what you think! ****Comments, favorites, and follows are all appreciated! Thanks for reading Fairires!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Quick note: Yes, this was a chapter in Fairy Tail that I really liked. I thought it really showed how Natsu does care about Lucy, and how Lucy deals with things like this. I put my own twist on things to make it fit into the story. I know that things happen differently in the original story (like how this happens after the 7 year gap on Tenroujima), but I'm changing things up a bit. I've taken direct lines out of the manga, and here is where I cite them:**

**Some lines used in this chapter ARE NOT MINE. All credit for the sentences goes to Hiro Mashima, the creator of Fairy Tail.**

**Happy reading Fairies!**

"Gate of the Southern Cross, I summon thee: Crux!" I said, swinging the silver key through the air. In a cloud of old gray dust, the ancient cross appeared in front of me. "Can you tell me where I can find the key to Pisces?" I asked.

Floating in mid-air, the spirit fell asleep. Natsu sat behind me on my bed and laughed.

"That guy fell asleep! How's he gonna help!" he chuckled. I shook my head.

"He's just thinking," I said. Natsu got up and started poking the bubble Crux made when he breathed out. "Natsu! Stop that!" I scolded. With a pop, Crux woke up. He sat straight and stared right at me.

"Pisces, the fishes. Though they have not been summoned in many years, someone does possess them."

"Who?" Natsu asked eagerly, jumping in front of him.

"I am not permitted to say."

"Oh come on! At least give us a hint!" Natsu pleaded. I rolled my eyes. If he wasn't allowed to say any more for whatever reason, then he wouldn't say any more.

"Natsu, it's ok-," Strangely, it was Crux that cut me off.

"I shall go against my orders and help you just this once. None of us spirits enjoy seeing Lucy in pain, as she is from the curse. This is the only time I will do this. They key is located in the town of Acalypha." With that said, Crux fell back asleep. I fell back onto my bed in my room and started thinking.

After thoroughly beating Natsu for grabbing my chest, he followed me back to my apartment where I could summon Crux and try to get some information on Pisces. My legs were completely fine after Wendy's treatment, but Natsu was either worried about me walking home alone, or worried about his personal health if he was left to face Erza alone again.

Acalypha. Of course, it had to be that town. For some reason, everything that happens in my life always drags me back to the town my father lives in. Was it just a coincidence, or maybe fate telling me I need to make up with him? Is this someone's way of telling me that I should forgive my father? Maybe it was about time. Now that I think about it rationally without anger, I can't really blame my father for everything he did when I was young. He was just so heartbroken; he didn't know how to handle me. I guess I was the same. I probably wasn't the easiest child to be around, especially right after mom died. Maybe I could go talk to him while we're there…

Natsu snapped me out of my thoughts with his giggling like a child. I glanced at him fleetingly, but had to stare in open-mouthed shock when I saw what he'd done.

Crux hadn't disappeared back to the spirit world yet. I cursed myself for leaving a marker on my desk. A moustache, unibrow, and nose hairs were now gracing the spirit's narrow face.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" he said, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet like an overactive nine year old. "Let's pick up Happy from the guild and get moving!"

I took a deep, soothing breath. I won't get angry, I won't get angry, I won't—I let the air go. "We need to pack first," I said, maneuvering my way around the sleeping, vandalized cross. I shoved the first clothes I touched in my suitcase and headed out with Natsu. We rescued Happy from embarrassing himself even more in front of Charle, let Mira know we were leaving for a few days, stopped back at Natsu's house so they could get their things together, and then set out towards Acalypha.

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"Hello! Is Jude Heartfilia here?" I asked the lady sitting behind the counter of the Love and Lucky building. Now that we were finally here, I'm positive this was the right decision. You can't change the past. You can only keep moving forward.

"Oh, dead. Do you happen to be Mr. Heartfilia's daughter? The lady asked. I nodded. There was something odd about her tone, though.

"Is he not here right now?" I asked. Natsu and Happy grew quiet behind me. They were sensing the same thing I was. Natsu took my hand. "Or maybe he got fired?"

I knew what was coming before she said it. "I'm sorry, dear. Jude Heartfilia passed away a few days ago."

The same stupid smile was plastered on my face. It was as if I couldn't control the bones in my body anymore. I felt like I was about to fall over, and I looked down to see my legs trembling. I looked at my hands and saw them shaking also. The woman stared at me sympathetically. "A letter was going to be put in the mail today to notify you." Slowly, my mouth fell down, forming a little 'o'.

"Luce?" Natsu asked from behind me. I wiped away my tears with the heel of my hand, only to find there were none.

"Thanks," I whispered to the woman. Without turning back, I walked straight out of Love and Lucky for the last time, not checking to see if Natsu was following me or not.

"His grave it right next to your mother's!" the receptionist called after me. He words went through one ear and out the other. I felt nothing inside. It was like my real self was hovering just in front of me, while the empty shell of my body moved forward. I saw Natsu trailing behind me with Happy helplessly. They didn't know how to handle me either, I guess.

With numb feet, I made my way to the only cemetery in Acalypha. I slowly trudged to the tombstone that I'd seen only once before, and the brand new one right next to it. Layla Heartfilia and Jude Heartfilia. Somebody even put flowers on both of them.

I'm an orphan. I have no family. No one-

"Lucy?" Natsu asked, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Are you—?"

I shook my head angrily. "Let's just leave," I whispered. I turned around and walked past him with my bangs covering my face. Not wanting to argue and upset me even more, Natsu followed behind with Happy wordlessly. The only sound was my suitcase bumping over the gravel in the street.

We were walking through the town towards the way we came in when we passed two girls. I didn't look up to see them; I only heard what they were saying.

"My dad smells sooo bad and he never shuts up! Just talk talk talk talk!" one said.

"Like, well,my dad is, like, suuuuper super annoying! Totally, like, y'know?"  
"I wish he'd just hurry up and die."

"Right? Like, totally! For sure!"

"HEY, DAMMIT! YOU OVER THERE! CAN'T YOU FEEL THE MOOD HERE?" Natsu yelled at them.

"How could we? We don't even know you."

"JUST KEEP WALKING! HURRY UP!" Happy yelled. The two girls' footsteps faded fast.

"Stop," I said quietly. My friends froze. "Sorry… for making you worry about me."

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Yeah… it's just my dad… I was caught off guard…a few months ago, when I came here and tried to save him from those robbers…Back in Acalypha, that was the last time I saw my father. Ever since I was little… I didn't really like my father. On top of that, there was the thing about Phantom. But… after I talked to him, and he told me about my name, my relationship with my father seemed to change."

Natsu and Happy watched me sadly.

"He's the kind of person that would overwork his body into the ground… Why is it…? I'm so sad… and so lonely… But the tears just won't come out. Maybe I really do hate my father…"

"That's not true," Natsu said. "I don't really know how to say this, but whether your tears fall or they don't, I don't think that had anything to do with how you feel right now."

"He's right, you know," a new voice said. I looked over and saw a little old lady carrying a large bag of fruits. She had long silvery hair tied up in a bun. Her back was slightly hunched, but her face was full of laugh lines. "Excuse me for eavesdropping, but what he said is very true."

I nodded, feeling a tiny fraction better.

"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" she asked, gazing at the setting sun for a moment. We shook our heads.

"We were just going to find a hotel somewhere on the way back to Magnolia," I said.

"Nonsense. Don't waste the money! Come home with me. I'll make you some food and you can both relax while I get to know you!" she said cheerfully.

"Thank you so much, er, Ms….?" I stammered.

"Oh, dearie! I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Chika. And you are?"

"I'm Lucy. That's Natsu and Happy."

"Well, it's nice to meet you children. Now, young man, how about you take this bag for me, and we can set off to my home!"


	13. Chapter 13

_I've always loved you, Lucy…_

I think that's the point where I lost it. My eyes overflowed against my will, and I was never gladded that I was alone for once. If Natsu were here, he would try to comfort me, which would only make me feel worse. Not that he hasn't done it before when I cried, but these were a different kind of tears. These were salty water droplets caused by heartbroken sobbing. Nothing could make me feel better.

Just knowing that my father died is bad enough, but going through his old home to see the drawers and boxes full of unfinished or unsent letters, all addressed to me, made it ten times worse.

After we got to Chika's house, I decided I should come here and see if there's anything worth keeping. Natsu was insisting on coming with me, but Chika forced him and Happy to stay with her and help clean up the house or something like that. I think she realized that this was something I had to do alone.

"Lucy?" a low voice whispered. I wiped away my tears and turned around to see my spirit Loke crouching behind me.

"What are you doing here, Loke?" I asked, trying to sound somewhat normal and utterly failing. My voice wavered, and I sniffed at the end of my sentence, immediately giving myself away.

"I came to check on you," he said softly, holding his arms out. I hesitated before flying into them. Having someone hold me while I cried only made me feel worse, like what I assumed would happen in Natsu had come. I clung to Loke's nice suit jacket, not letting go until it was thoroughly stained with my tears, and even then I had more salt water flowing down my cheeks.

"It's ok, shh, everything will be ok," Loke hummed over and over again. At last, after who knows how long, I straightened up and leaned against the bed in my father's abandoned room. Loke crawled so he could sit next to me.

"Thank you," I sniffed.

"Any time, princess. Please just call me, and I'll always be there. All of us will," he said, referring to the rest of his fellow spirits. "Is there anything else you need help with?"

"Do you think you could help me package up some of these things? I want to take them home with me," I asked, carefully standing up.

"Of course." In silence, Loke handed me box after box that we found in my father's closets, which I filled with the letters my father had written to me. I also packed some books that were starting to get dusty on his shelves. I opened the final drawer in his desk and froze.

My hand hovered over an old photo album. The cover was wrapped in a faded light pink cloth. I remember this. It was in the attic when I was young. The pages were yellowed and crinkly with age. Carefully, I pulled it out and pressed it against my chest.

"Are you going to take that one, too?" Loke asked. I slowly nodded.

"Yeah, but I'll carry this one. I think that's all I want." Against my protests, Loke picked up the three medium sized boxes full of paper and books and carried them halfway across the town to where Chika lived.

Acalypha really was a beautiful town. It was a lot like Candor, now that I took time to look at it. The ground was covered in cobblestone. Little brick houses were squished together on either side of the street. Everything looked quaint. Chika's house was lit from the inside, banishing the darkness that blanketed the outside. The stars were out and shining bright in the sky, reminding me of my birthday present from Natsu. I still haven't tried to find the star yet, or even make a contract with Telescopium. I guess things have been a little hectic recently.

One lone candle shone on the front porch. Chika must have left it there so we could see where we were going. Her house was just like all the others in the town; small but charming. I held the door open for Loke so he could walk in before me and carefully set down the packages in the living room.

"Lucy!" Happy called, flying into my chest and hugging me. I smiled and laughed, glad that the tear tracks on my cheeks had dried up and almost disappeared completely.

The inside of the cottage was just as you'd imagine it to be. From the perspective in front of the door, there was a sitting room to the left with comfortable looking burgundy couches and chairs. A small stone fireplace was on the wall. To the right was the kitchen. The walls were a happy yellow. It had all the normal appliances any kitchen would, plus a small round dark wood table with matching chairs to sit at. Straight ahead was a dark hallway, most likely branching out into different bedrooms and bathrooms.

"LUCY'S BACK!" Natsu yelled, charging after his little flying friends. "And Loke too! What's in the boxes?"

"Hello, Lucy. And hello to you too, young man. My name is Chika." Chika came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"I'm… Loke…," Loke introduced himself, with a very odd expression on his face. Was it surprise or something else?

"Well then. Would you like to stay for dinner also?" Chika asked not unkindly.

"No, thanks. I should get back," Loke said. He turned to face me and gave me a quick hug. I blushed at his sudden move. Over his shoulder, I saw Natsu stand in the same spot he was in a second ago, looking almost annoyed. "Remember to call if you need anything. It was nice meeting you again, Chika." With that, Loke disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Chika's hand came up to rest over her heart.

"Dear, would you happen to be a Celestial Spirit mage?" Chika asked after a moment.

"Uh-huh!" I said.

"What did Loke mean by 'see you again'?" Natsu asked, back to his normal self.

"Oh… it's nothing, child. What's that you're holding, Lucy?" Chika asked, blatantly changing the subject.

"It's an old photo album. I found it at my father's."

"I wanna see little Lucy!" Happy said, hovering over my shoulder.

"Me too!" Natsu said. He took my hand and dragged me to the kitchen table so we could all sit down, gathered around the fragile book I laid down.

"If you would like to share, I'm also interest," Chika said lightly, giving me the option to say no. I nodded and set it on the table. The first page was just a title page, listing the names of my mother, father, and me in a fancy bold script.

We spent the next hour flipping through the pages. The others seemed really interested, and I didn't mind remembering the pleasant memories in the book.

"That's the doll I got for my birthday one year! Mama said she was going to be like a little sister to me. I always made her clothes out of paper and flowers." ~flip~

"What about that one?"

"Oh, that's the time my father made a flower crown for me!" ~flip~

"Is that you, Lucy?"

"That's my mom. Every always said I looked just like her." ~flip~

"Did she like reading too?"

"Yeah. She's where I get it from. That's the day we went to the store together and got all of my favorite fairy tale books."

"You knew about Fairy Tail back then too?"

"No, it was a different kind of fairy Tail, fairy tales. Like the stories where there's a prince that saves a princess from a dragon, or something like that."

That made Natsu pause and think. He scratched the back of his head.

"But what if the dragon was good, and he liked the princess more than the prince did?"

"That's… it was always kind of assumed that the dragon was the bad guy." ~flip~

"But that's-!"

"Who's that?" Happy interrupted.

"That's my father when he was younger. I think that was taken a bit before I was born." ~flip~

"…HAHAHAHAHA!"

"NATSU DON'T LOOK AT THAT ONE!"

"Aww, little Lucy in the bath tub!"

"Shut UP, stupid cat!" ~flip~

The final page held a picture I'd only ever seen once, when I was a little girl. The day came back to me in a flash.

_"__Please smile, Miss Lucy," another somebody begged. Another somebody who meant nothing to me. Father said he wanted new portraits done of us. I wondered if he just wanted to get rid of the one of him, mama, and me. Do the memories that picture bring back hurt him as much as they hurt me? My expression didn't change, even when Aed and Miss Spetto started jumping around and making funny faces behind the artist's back._

_"__Are you finished yet?" Papa asked, walking into the small garden we were sitting in. The artist thought I would look pretty out in the sun, wearing my prettiest pink dress, sitting in the flowers. I was going to be drawn here, and father would have his done in his office, standing behind his desk. That's where he always is. He never comes out anymore._

_"__Uh, not quite, Mr. Heartfilia," the artist hurriedly said. My father was a very intimidating man, especially when he heard bad news. Actually, any kind of news that didn't expressly please him. "I was just trying to get Lucy here to smile. Maybe you could help…?" Of course, the artist was unaware of my father's ways. Miss Spetto and Aed stood formally, giving me sad looks when my father wasn't looking._

_"__Lucy. Smile," Papa ordered. I lifted one corner of my mouth, forming more of a grimace._

_"__That's alright, I can just work like-," the artist tried to diffuse the tension._

_"__Lucy Heartfilia. I am spending a large amount of money to have these paintings done. Now stop acting like an immature child and smile!"_

_I flinched back at my father's harsh words. Papa doesn't love me… he wants me to be perfect. I can't ever be perfect enough for him. Why can't I just be me for once?_

_I smiled as hard as I could, apparently satisfying my father. He marched back inside, happy with how I was acting like a proper young lady again._

_Why can't Mama just come back? I miss her so much, it hurts. I've barely smiled in the past year. Grief was burying me alive._

_"__Dear, it's ok. He's gone. You can relax now," the artist whispered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Papa staring at me through the window. I kept my painful smile on. The artist sighed and finished his painting quickly. He left it on the easel to dry when he went inside to speak with Papa._

_"__Come on, Lucy. Let's get out of that dress," Miss Spetto said, ushering me away from the stone bench I'd been sitting on. She wouldn't let me see the portrait, but that's ok. I saw it a week later, when I was up in the attic. After Mama died, Papa had servants pack all of her things up in boxes and put them up here, so I came a lot so I could look at her dresses and try to smell what's left of her scent._

The picture was almost the same as I remembered it all those years ago. Sunlight glinted off my hair, making me look almost angelic. The scenery was exactly right. The blooming flowers were beautiful. The little me looked exactly right. The only bad thing about the painting was my face.

The forced smile was painful to look at. The artist was known for his exact detail, and he didn't let me down. My eyebrows were raised, trying to make it seem like I was happy. The fake smile took up a large portion of my face. There was just the tiniest visible glint on my cheek, marking the single tear that I slipped that day while the man painted me. My eyes were the worst part. They were dark brown and tortured looking. It's amazing how well he captured that emotion. You could just barely see my father standing in the background, watching me. I understand why my father kept this portrait in the attic. It wasn't beautiful at all. It was more heartbreaking than anything. I wonder why this was chosen to be slipped between the happy pages of the scrapbook.

Natsu and Happy's laughter died down when they saw it. It took a few minutes to make the connection that this was a really bad picture, and then there was an almost audible click when Natsu realized what this picture actually showed.

"Is that…?" he asked. My throat swelled, and I simply nodded. Natsu put his arm around my shoulders comfortingly.

"Is that your father in the back?" Chika asked.

"Yes," I whispered.

I may have hated my father for a long time, but now that he's gone, I realize that he was only doing the best that he knew how to. It was pretty awful at most times, but at least he always loved me.

"He's dead now."


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm sorry for your loss," Chika said, pushing her chair back from the table. She brushed the serious comment off. "Now, let's get something to eat."

I was relieved that Chika didn't make me talk about it or ask questions, and that she still treated me normally for the rest of the night. Throughout the evening, I felt her staring at me when she didn't think I was looking. This woman definitely had some secrets, but I wouldn't ask about them, just as she hadn't asked about mine.

We had a delicious stew for dinner and sat around talking for the rest of the night. Natsu and Happy goofed around and listened to the old lady's stories. They told storied of their own, embellishing them to make them sound funnier or cooler. I rolled my eyes when Natsu said he caught me when I was pushed out of a tower that was higher than the tallest mountain in the entire world. Eventually, he fell asleep leaning against me knees. Happy lay next to him and started snoring. It was almost midnight when Chika turned to me and started in on her questions.

"Lucy, how many Celestial Keys do you have?" she asked curiously.

"I have eleven gold keys and six silver keys. Why do you ask?"

"Eleven," she breathed out. "So many. Could you show me?"

"Sure? Who do you want to see?" I asked, standing up. I carefully repositioned Natsu so he was leaning against the couch instead of me. He stirred slightly and frowned in his sleep, but didn't wake up. He looked so adorable asleep…

"Oh, dear, who, who, who, indeed? Ah, I know! Could you summon Pisces?" she asked, breaking my thoughts.

"I don't have that one. Natsu and I have actually been searching for it," I said sadly.

"Oh? Do you know the legend of the owner of the twelve great Zodiac keys? Are you prepared to be the connection between our world and theirs?" she asked. How did she know so much about all of this?

"…I'm happy with how things are right now. I have eleven of the twelve Zodiac spirits, and they're all my best friends. But without Pisces, I can never break this curse." At the signal of Chika's confused stare, I continued. "A mage named Cleo put a curse on me a while ago. It's a long story, but I basically need all twelve golden keys to get rid of it.

"And what is this curse? How awful could it be?"

"It's not too terrible. If it were up to me, I would probably keep everything how it is now. But nobody else agrees with me. I understand why, though. And it's not exactly a curse, either. See, Cleo used a spell to see my most powerful wish, and grant it. It was meant to be used on Natsu, but I jumped in front of him at the last second. All of my friends were badly injured and lying on the ground and the only thing I wanted was to take their pain away. It was my fault that they were all hurt. I accidently wished it. Now, if anyone in my guild gets hurt, I feel the pain and get the injuries."

"All because you wanted to take pain from your friends…," Chika murmured to herself. I nodded. "Well then. Would you mind summoning Scorpio for me?"

"Gate of the Scorpion, I summon thee: Scorpio!" I chanted in response, waving his key through the air.

"Oh, my!" Chika gasped when he appeared. Scorpio's face dropped in shock. I've never seen him show that much emotion before…

"Chika! Alright!" Scorpio yelled. Amazingly, Natsu was still asleep when I checked on him. "How you doin?"

"Hello again, dear Scorpio!" Chika greeted like a grandmother speaking with a fond grandchild they haven't seen in years. I tried listening to their conversation, hearing for any hints they dropped on how they knew each other, but they remained secretive. When Scorpio forced his gate closure, Chika turned to me with bright eyes.

"Aquarius?" she asked. Completely confused, I nodded. I walked to the kitchen and filled the sink with water, knowing that Aquarius would most likely kill me for it. I summoned her right there, with Chika standing behind me.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT CALLING ME FROM-," her mouth dropped when she saw who was standing with me. I was about to ask how they knew each other when Chika shooed me out of the kitchen.

"Let us talk for a few minutes! Go check on the sleeping dragon!" she urged, pushing me towards Natsu.

"Natsu, wake up," I said sourly, poking his cheek. His hand came up to scratch where my finger was a second ago, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Natsu!" I said again, a little louder. Still no reply, from him or his cat. "Oh, whatever." I gave up and sat next to him instead. I took his right hand in both of mine and leaned against his shoulder, trying to get comfortable. I only blushed a little when his hand squeezed mine and he leaned into me. His warmth was comforting. I thought back to the other night at the river and smiled.

_There is definitely something weird going on here, _I thought to myself. _How is it that my spirits know Chika? And how does Chika know all about the spirits, too? _None of this was making any sense.

Somewhere in the middle of all my contemplating and trying to figure this out, my eyes dropped and did not open.

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"Lucy," someone whispered. I groaned and shoved the blanket over my head. Silent laughter shook me. "Come on, Luce, it's time to get up."

The heat of something next to me is what finally made me open my eyes… only to see Natsu's bare chest. In my shock, I shoved away from him and fell off the bed. Bed? I landed with a loud thump on the wooden floor. Natsu let loose his caged laughter. Happy joined in after a minute, seeing my bright cheeks.

"How did I get here?" I asked myself, standing up and brushing myself off quickly, not looking up.

"The old lady woke me up and pointed me to a spare room. She said you'd probably be comfier in a bed then on the floor with me, so I carried you here too!" he said cheerfully.

"Did Chika say anything else?" I asked him.

"She told me tons of stuff. And you'll be super excited when you hear! So let's get going!" he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me down a short hallway and to the kitchen we'd been sitting in last night.

"Oh, good, you're awake. Hungry?" Chika asked, putting plates on the table for each of us. Natsu ate everything extra, leaving just enough for Chika and me to have a nice breakfast. Happy sat on the table, happily gnawing on a giant fish.

"How did you know all of my spirits last night?" I asked Chika when we were finished. She turned around to face me instead of the sink and considered what she was going to say first.

"Well, you've heard legend of the woman who first had all twelve golden keys, haven't you?" I nodded. It was a legend my mother always used to tell me.

A woman with hair gold as the sun that had the power of the stars traveled from land to land, collecting all the Zodiac keys. She was stronger than any mage in Earthland, although many didn't believe that. She was challenged daily to battles, and when the challenger lost, they said she was a witch and made fun of her. Those same people turned entire towns against her. So, with no friends of her own besides her spirits and no home to return to, the woman moved from place to place, helping wherever she could.

One day, in the middle of winter, someone stole her keys. Another Celestial Mage with hair as dark as the midnight sky and eyes like coals, jealous of the power of the woman, tried to summon all of the spirits to cause havoc around the world. This was before spirits and people made contracts. If somebody called on them, they came, forced to do whatever they were told, though you had to have great power to summon them at all. The original owner caught up with the thief to find it was too late. The spirits were out and destroying everything they could in a small, poor village. Using every ounce of strength she could, the kind woman defeated the evil woman and took back her keys. The evil one is said to have disappeared forever. The other, knowing that the idea to steal her keys was now implanted in every villain's mind, said goodbye to her beloved friends and spread the keys around the land. She kept only one herself, to prevent someone from collecting all twelve and letting loose the same tragedy again.

This was also when spirits were given free will by the Celestial Sprit King. Contracts were made, and everyone was happier.

Mama always said the moral of the story was to stay pure hearted.

"Well, darling, the woman in that story is me."

**Am I the only one completely bothered by how the number of chapters doesn't match what chapter number I've written? Aggh, it's honestly driving me crazy!**

**Anyways, as always, thank you for taking time to read the story! I hope you enjoy it so far! Reviews are mush appreciated, if you have a second! See you Friday, Fairies!**


	15. Chapter 15

Natsu's PoV

Lucy was so shocked! Happy and I tried not to laugh. She kind of just sat there for a second, trying to take in what Chika had told her. And then, as if in slow motion, she started tilting over in her chair.

"LUCY!" I yelled, jumping from my own chair. Luckily, I caught her head between my hands just before it could smack against the floor.

"Take her to the couch," Chika said calmly. I scooped up the unconscious girl in my arms and gently set her on the long couch in the next room. "She's probably shocked. I've only told one other person, and after I convinced them it was true, they reacted similarly. Lucy will be up in a moment."

I sat worriedly on the edge of the couch with Happy, who was curled up right beside her head. _This is more than just shock,_ I thought. _Lucy is one of the bravest people I know. She's handled much more than this. Something must be wrong._

Slowly, one by one, slashes appeared on Lucy's skin. This beautiful girl in front of me was being hurt by someone, and I was going to find whoever is doing it and make them pay. Happy's eyes grew in fear and confusion.

A few minutes later, after sitting and watching her shudder and writhe in pain, she bolted straight up and cried my name. My arms immediately grabbed around her shoulders without a thought and pulled her against my chest, trying to shush her.

"The guild!" she gasped out wildly. Her forehead was burning up. "Someone's attacking! The pain… I feel all their pain!" Anger clouded my senses. Some bastard is attacking the guild; my friends and family. And at the same time, the person is unknowingly hurting the girl I love.

"But Lucy, if people aren't getting hurt, then can't they keep fighting?" Happy asked.

"No… There're too many people… Everyone keeps getting knocked down…" Lucy's arm started twitching, and then it bent backwards at a painful angle. She grimaced but stood up shakily. "We have to get back right now. I can feel them all. They're fighting as hard as they can because they know I'm being hurt, but it's not enough."

"We have to save everyone!" Happy said.

"Let's go," I said darkly. Chika, who had remained silent through all of this, spoke up now.

"You must go at once. Save your friends. But I have something to give you first," she said, pulling a small box from behind her back. She was going to hand it to Lucy, but passed it to me instead, seeing Lucy's weakened state.

"It has a note explaining everything, along with the key of Pisces. I want you to take it, and guard it with your life. Tell her to read the message as soon as she can." I nodded and stuck it in my bad with everything else. I picked mine and Lucy's up and started walking to the door, already plotting my revenge on the scumbags that were hurting my guild. Lucy stumbled behind me, falling forward onto my back and grasping my shirt to stay up. I dropped our things so I could catch her before she collapsed to the side.

"Lucy!" Happy panicked again, fluttering around her with nothing to do.

"Dragon, leave your things here. Only take the box. I don't believe she can walk all the way back to your home easily. She is more important than any material possession." I nodded, not arguing with that. I handed Lucy the small wrapped brown box, which she slipped into the side of her boot. The bulge it created didn't look comfortable at all, but she didn't seem bothered by it. Although, I guess it didn't hurt as much as the pain she was already feeling. I lifted Lucy onto my back after Chika had hugged her and Happy goodbye.

"Weirdo," I said lightly when she laid her head in my shoulder.

"Natsu, I want you to protect her. She doesn't know her own strength. She us much more powerful than any of us know yet," Chika warned. Lucy groaned on my back.

"Yeah, yeah, strong my ass," she whispered. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. Just hurry."

Without another thought, I took off down the dusty roads toward home with Happy following close behind.

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Lucy's PoV

"Gate of the Lion, I summon thee: Leo!" I said, slashing the key through the air. Although I was in agony, I stood tall and pretended like I was ok. Each second, a new mark was ruining my skin, though I tried to ignore it. Taking our time, the trip from Acalypha to Magnolia would probably take a half a day. With Natsu being fueled by his rage and worry, we made it head in less than an hour. Who knew people could fight for so long?

Loke appeared in front of me in his crisp black suit.

"What happened to you?" he gasped when he saw me. Did I really look that bad?

"Nothing," I said though clenched teeth. "Let's just get this over with." Loke hesitatingly agreed, and charged headfirst into the battle. Natsu was already taking down guy after guy, and now that we were here, the others were starting to fight stronger too. Their hopes were lifted, and for the time being, they forgot about my curse. I pulled out my Fleuve d'étoiles and started helping as much as I could. I didn't let my pain get in the way of my attacks.

After what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, the enemy guild retreated. Erza called up to stop, and we all stood by as the other people carried the wounded men and women from the hall. The second the doors slammed, the guild erupted in cheers, celebrating success. I slowly limped away towards a corner of the room, not wanting them to worry about me. I loved hearing my friends laugh and talk, and I didn't want to be the reason they stopped again.

"Come on, Lucy," Loke said, appearing at my side and guiding me towards the medical room. It was almost funny, how I went from never being in there before to coming in every few days. Loke helped me onto one of the beds.

"Virgo went back to Chika's house to get you and Natsu's bags. Just relax," he soothed.

"Is what Chika said true? Is she really the woman from the story?" I asked.

Loke nodded. "But we can talk about that later. Just calm down and rest. I'm going to go let the other know you're in here." He vanished against before I could stop him.

Does this mean, now that I have all twelve keys, that I have the power of the stars, just like the woman (well, I guess Chika) did? Will I control the fate of my spirits? The box still in my shoe was a constant reminder that this was all real. This wasn't a dream.

What if I just ruin everything? What if people start treating me the way they treated Chika in the story? What if everyone starts to hate me?

What if Natsu hates me?

I couldn't bear that. It would be worse than hell if he refused to ever talk to me again.

_No matter what, at least I'll always have my spirits. At least, even if everyone else abandons me, they will always be there._

**Happy 4th of July to everyone who celebrates it! I realized I haven't really written anything super happy or fluffy in this story for a while, so I think there'll be another _.5 chapter coming up soon! **

**Have a good day, Fairies! Until next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

_Lucy,_

_Hello, dear girl. I wrote this letter to explain to you a little more of my story. I assume you've heard only the basics, and I doubt I will have time to go into detail before you must depart again._

_I was fortunate enough to collect the twelve gate keys a few hundred years ago, when that celestial magic was first introduced to Earthland. Just as the story goes, I was challenged to fights often. People treated me awfully, but I forgave all of them many years ago. How can you blame someone for being jealous of a power they don't have? Jealousy is a part of life, and is less hurtful when you accept it._

_I admit, it was a very lonely life. Although I had my spirits with me, it wasn't the same. My parents both passed when I was young, so I had no family either. I traveled around the world to help everyone I could._

_The most obvious question: how am I still alive if this happened so long ago? As a gift from the Spirit King, for saving Earthland, I was granted temporary immortality. I've been living in this same house for many, many years, waiting for someone like you to come around. The time has finally come to pass down my protected key, and I'm glad it will go to you._

_There's a prophecy that I was told of a very long time ago. I have guarded it my whole life, but that's another thing I will now pass to you. _

**_When the towers of Heaven and Hell come together,_**

**_One shall emerge to restore the_**

**_Shadows of Space and Time._**

**_Trusted friends and family shall try to help_**

**_but end up in the midst of the_**

**_Greatest Battle in History._**

**_A single death will occur to mark the passing of the era._**

**_Yet when life if sacrificed for love, fate may change for the purest of hearts._**

**_Love will be found, lost, then found again forever._**

**_Hatred shall be born, loneliness will arise,_**

**_Then all shall melt back into the seamless river from which it came._**

**_For days and night, until towers be collapsed,_**

**_The Gate Between the Worlds,_**

**_With hair golden as a halo and soul bright as stars in the sky, _**

**_Peril will be constant and death near._**

**_Much magic will be brought._**

**_Ye shall unite the towers and save Earthland once again._**

**_If failure occur, _**

**_The Gate will be welcomed with Death and Despair._**

_It is very grim indeed, and I can barely make sense of it. I pray only that you are successful in whatever you do with this._

_I have one final piece of information for you. The evil woman in my story's name was Tsukiko. It's true that she disappeared after I defeated her, but I do not think she has died. I think she is the same as me, living somewhere in hiding, biding her time and growing her strength. Stay away from her. She is the most dangerous person I have ever met. Please heed my warning, and destroy her if you have the chance._

_Becoming the Gate between the Worlds is not an easy task. It will be difficult, painful, and heartbreaking. But you must be strong. Never give up hope. Life will go on, no matter what happens. You have the greatest potential and the purest soul I have seen in generations. Use those gifts wisely. _

_Goodbye, Lucy Heartfilia, and best of luck._

_-Chika._

"Hey, Natsu," I smiled at him, trying to not show how much pain I was in. He looked like he was about to go to a funeral. Seeing his eyes so sad made me want to cry. I only want him to be happy. Loke walked in and leaned against the wall in the corner of the room.

"I'm ok, so you don't have to be worried about me!" I told both of them. For once, neither of them smiled. Instead of answering, Natsu pulled my thin blanket back, exposing my legs. They were covered in angry red patches and cuts that would soon turn into bruises.

"Yeah, you're fine, alright," he said sarcastically. Loke stayed silent, but I could tell that he was hurting for me.

"Natsu…," I murmured, leaning my head against the backboard of the bed. "I'm okay. And I'm glad that nobody had to feel pain." Natsu was about to say something, but I cut him off. "Who were those people that attacked?"

"They were bad people," Master Makarov said, entering the room. He hopped up onto the bed beside me. "They somehow found out about your dragon scale and wanted to steal it."

My heart froze. "Is it safe?" I asked hurriedly.

"Yes. As soon as we knew what they came for, I sent Wendy and Romeo to your house with Mira's spare key to get it and keep it safe. They hid it in my office a little after you and Natsu got here." I sighed in relief, and then in anger.

"Since when does Mira have a key to my house?!"

"We have a bigger problem than that," Master said, ignoring my outraged question. He stared sadly at my legs and arms.

"I'm fine. It's nothing Wendy can't fix. Plus, I have all twelve golden keys now," I said. Master's jaw dropped. Natsu smiled a little, but still looked worried and slightly angry. Why?

"How? Do you mean to tell me that you now have the power of the twelve Zodiac spirits?" Master spluttered.

"Yes, although I haven't had the time to make a contract with Pisces yet. And apparently there's some prophecy about me," I explained. I handed him the note that I had already read from Chika. It sounded like gibberish to me. Towers of Heaven and Hell? Shadows of Space and Time? What the hell was any of that supposed to mean?

"Whatever the case, you have to go at once to find your dragon!" Master said when he finished reading. It was obvious he wasn't telling me something, but I chose to ignore it for now. If he didn't want to mention it, then he wasn't going to tell me.

"But she has to kill it to reverse the wish!" Natsu argued. "People can't kill dragons!"

"Rogue and Sting?" I asked. Natsu stared at me in disbelief.

"They're Rogue and Sting!" he argued, as if that were an actual answer. I guess it was, in a way. A pretty shit answer. Of course I'm not as strong as them! My point was that it was possible.

"Makarov, may I have a minute with Lucy?" Loke asked, pushing off the wall and walking towards me.

"No way!" Natsu argued again. Today was just not his day. Master nodded and jumped to the ground.

"Come, Natsu. Help rebuild the guild again. You can see Lucy in a while," he said over his shoulder. Natsu glared daggers at Loke, but didn't dare disobey Master's orders.

"I'll be right back," Loke promised, following the others out the door.

What was he planning? I hissed in pain when my thumb felt like it was being crushed.

_"__Sorry, Lucy!"_ I heard someone faintly yell. It was too quiet for me to tell who had specifically said it. It was such an unexpected thing, I laughed. Whoever that was actually apologized for getting hurt. I laughed a little more, and just kept going. Erza and Levy probably thought I was going crazy when they walked in a minute later. I don't know why I was laughing so hard. It wasn't even that funny. I felt like I was losing it, like everything was finally catching up to me and this was the only way I could deal with it.

"Lucy," Erza said. She sat on one side of the bed, while Levy circled around and sat on the other. My giggles stopped eventually when I saw how serious the two girls looked.

"We're worried," Levy said, breaking the silence.

"Loke came and got us. He's out there, helping, if you were wondering," Erza said.

"He said you're taking this all badly."

"How am I taking this badly? I was laughing just a minute ago! And I'm not even hurt that badly!" I said, shocked. What was Loke trying to accomplish here? Is this his subtle way of saying that I need a therapist?

"Exactly. You're pushing everything back and not letting anyone inside. If this keeps going on, you'll eventually shut us all out completely," Levy reasoned. I snorted.

"That ridiculous. You are my best friends. I won't shut you out, ever!"

"Then what do you call this?" Erza asked, gesturing between the three of us. "We're sitting here, while everyone else in the guild is out in the hall worrying to death about you! You're sitting here, LAUGHING. Did you hear Laxus yell sorry a minute ago? I don't think I've ever heard him say sorry in my life. HE'S worried about you. LEVY and I are worried about you. NATSU, who's always happy and cheerful, is worried about you the most! I Everyone is! I understand that you may not like that, but it's the truth, and you have to accept that. It will stay the same until we can fix this all. And you may put on a brave face for everyone else, but remember: it hurts more to cry alone. You can't be strong forever. Nobody can."

What do you say to something like that? I sat in silence for a moment, processing everything…

Insisting I was fine was useless. Everyone knew that it was a lie. Laughing about things isn't fair to the people who are worrying over me.

…And then it was like a vault inside me had been sprung open. Water poured from my eyes, instantly soaking my cheeks and Erza's clean white shirt that she had equipped to before she entered the room. She pulled me towards her and laid my head on her chest. I held onto her and Levy's hands, using them as a lifeline to the real world. Levy wrapped her arms as best she could around both of us, squishing me in the middle like a sandwich.

I'm a terrible person. I hadn't even realized what I'd been doing. I'd slowly been closing my friends out of my life for days, ever since I first got the note from Miss Spetto. I've kept secrets, I've kept to myself, and I've cried by myself. Erza was right. When I cried along in my room at night, I thought my tears would never stop, like I was spiraling out of control into a dark pit of nothingness. But now, crying on the shoulders of my friends and feeling them cry with me, I feel like this is just a pit stop. This is going to end soon, and when it does, I'll be stronger. I've let my tears of pain, fear, and frustration out, and now readiness was slowly taking its place.

"Lucy, I—," Natsu said, barging in. He was met immediately with whatever was closest to Erza's hand. This included a large book, a water glass (still full of water), and my shoe. By the time the pink- haired idiot had the sense to turn around and run, Erza had already stood up and equipped a sword from mid-air. She threw it, just barely missing Natsu's head. The door slammed shut behind him, and Erza turned around with a huff to face us, only to see…

Levy and me, laughing hysterically, clutching our stomachs and adding tears of laughter to the mix. Erza joined in a second later.

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3rd Person PoV

There was a loud crashing as a book tumbled to the floor, a glass shattered beside it, a black shoe slapped the ground, and a silver sword flew from the medical room and stuck in the wall across the guild from it. Everyone stopped their work to look at Natsu, who slammed the door on his way out.

"Don't… Go… In there!" he panted, leaning down with his hands on his knees.

"What did you do, Flame Brain?" Gray asked, wearing only a pair of pants and a hard hat.

"I didn't do nothing! I went in there to say sorry to Lucy and see if she was okay, and Erza started throwin stuff at me!" Natsu collapsed onto one of the few unbroken benches and rubbed his head. "And who are you callin Flame Brain, Ice Princess?"

"I told you to leave them alone, Natsu," Loke said from high on a ladder. "I specifically warned you that Erza said not to disturb them."

"I just wanted to check on Luce," Natsu grumbled. When the sword in the wall disappeared, everyone returned to their work like it was any other day. Wendy disappeared to heal Lucy, Mirajane continued bringing drinks around to the busy guild members, while a grumbling Natsu started another fight with Gray.


	17. Chapter 17

Natsu's PoV

"Natsu. Erza. Gray. Happy. You will all be going with Lucy to find her dragon," Gramps said. He'd called us all into his office a while after Levy and Erza came out of the medical room. I was going to go in and hang out with Luce, but Erza said she was sleeping, and threatened my life if I went in there and woke her up.

A giant grin took over my face. I didn't try to contain it. "Let's go! What are ya guys waiting for?" I asked, jumping out of the chair and standing by the door.

"Slow down, idiot. Master's not don't talking yet," Gray said over his shoulder. My hand caught on fire and I was about to punch him in the back of his stupid icy head when Gramps' words stopped me.

"Somehow, a dark guild has found out about the dragon scale. The people that attacked earlier were only members to confirm the rumors, which they obviously did. On your mission, I believe that many people will try to kidnap Lucy and take her scale. The danger for her is now intensified as she has all twelve Zodiac keys now."

That severely pissed me off. If people thought they could hurt my Lucy, they had another thing coming. I'd destroy each of them, one by one, if they ever touch her. I told her I loved her, and she loves me too, so she's mine now.

"Who are they? How did the find out?" Boxer Queen asked.

"They are the dark guild Stone Heart. I don't know how they figured it out, but it's too late to worry about that now. All we can do is get Lucy to the mountain and hope everything works out."

"What mountain?" Gray asked. Could he shut up with the questions? Let's just go already!

"Lunar Mountain. Lucy should know how to get there, so don't worry," Gramps said.

"I've heard something about Stone Heart before…," Erza thought out loud. Gramps nodded.

"They have one of the strongest teams of any dark guild we know about. They are known as Team Perish. Look out for Takeshi; he is the most dangerous—," I'd heard enough. Sitting around talking about it wasn't going to do anything!

"Well, then let's go!" I said again, already walking out the door. The sounds of hammers and drills went on all around the four of us as we made our way back down to the medical room. I grabbed they shoe that had previously hit me in the head before we went inside.

"LUCE!" I yelled. Gray face palmed, and so did Levy, who joined us from the bar. I turned around slowly to see Erza. Her eyes were black as midnight, and I could see her shaking in anger.

"I told you she was sleeping," Erza said darkly. It looked like she was getting taller than me each second. There was a weird kind of purple haze around her.

"I'm sorry!" I yelled, running over to Lucy and hiding on the other side of her bed.

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Lucy's PoV

I heard Natsu yell and opened my eyes groggily to see a very mad Erza towering over a frightened Natsu. After Wendy healed me, I made a contract with Pisces, the fishes. They seemed great, although they didn't talk much. All the crying with Erza and Levy, plus the stress of the day, wore me out.

Levy stepped into the room, maneuvering her way past the two easily. Gray still stood at the door, laughing.

"I'm sorry!" Natsu yelled, running over to me and hiding behind my bed. I couldn't help by laugh as well.

"What are you all doing in here?" I asked, trying to hold in my giggles. Gray walked over and held out a hand to me, helping me stand.

"We're all going with you to find that dragon," he said. "I've got your scale right here!"

"Besides me. I'm just here to see you off!" Levy said.

My legs were fine again, but a little stiff. Gray's arm helped me stay up. I'd only taken one step away from the bed when Natsu ran out of nowhere as fast as he could and head-butted Gray in the side, away from me. Without the extra support, I sat heavily back on the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gray yelled.

"She's mine, so don't touch her!" Natsu yelled back. The butterflies in my stomach woke up and multiplied. He didn't have to go yelling stuff like that! Although I was flattered, my cheeks burned as I turned to face the girls.

"Erza, Levy, would you mind?" I asked sweetly. Erza nodded stonily, and Levy smiled. They were both going to take pleasure in this.

Levy took her pen out of her pocket and scrawled the word in the air. A giant stack of heavy hardcover books appeared and fell down from the sky, landing square on top of Natsu and Gray's heads. Erza requppied into her Fire Empress Armor, and pointed the sword at Natsu. Both boys were cowering in the corner, holding each other as if they were best friends.

"Don't make me use this," she said. Natsu pushed himself against the wall further, rubbing his head.

"A-Aye," Gray choked.

"Lucyyyyy!" Natsu whined.

"People are not objects. You cannot decide whether they are yours or not," Erza said.

"I'll help you back to your apartment to pack, Lu-chan," Levy said, holding an arm out to me. I took it gratefully. Erza transformed back to her normal attire now that her lesson was taught and took my other arm. Together, the three of us walked from the room and into the guild to say goodbye to everyone, leaving Natsu and Gray still sitting in the medical room, grumbling and crying to themselves.

"Get moving. We depart in two days' time."

**Sorry for the short chapter Fairies. The next one should be much longer, so I'll make it up to you all! Thank you all so much for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18 FLUFFER!

**I OWN NOTHING IN THE FAIRY TAIL WORLD, ALL CREDIT FOR THE STORY AND CHARACTERS GOES TO HIRO MASHIMA!**

"I am connected with the path to the Celestial Spirit world! Heed my call! Pass through the gate! Open, Gate of the Telescope! Telescopium!" I chanted, slashing the new silver key through the air. Natsu and Happy sat behind me on my bed, eagerly waiting to see what this spirit would look like. After Erza and Levy escorted me home, they hung out for a while before leaving to let me rest and so Erza could pack for our trip. Natsu and Happy broke in through my window –again- a few minutes later, insisting that I summon out my birthday present from him before we left.

In a poof of silver dust, Telescopium appeared in front of me. A little boy, even younger that Wendy and Romeo, stood on my carpet, shaking like a leaf. His silver hair was in the same style as Natsu's, spiked randomly all over his head. He was probably around three feet tall, wearing a coat also similar to Natsu's, except his was pure grey with black trim. His exposed right arm was a mess of black dots and lines. It looked like someone had scribbled all over him with a pen, although I could vaguely see the outlines of some constellations I know. He shuffled his bare feet on the floor, pushing his thick bottle-framed glasses up his nose with his middle finger. The lenses intensified his brown eyes, making them seem three times bigger than they actually were.

"H-H-H-H-Hello M-Master," he stuttered. I spun around and shot daggers at Natsu and Happy through my eyes when I heard them laugh. They instantly shut up. I turned back to my newest spirit with a smile on my face.

"Oh, he's so cute! I trilled, flitting around him to get a view from every angle He stood still awkwardly, trying to hide the blush rising on his cheeks from the attention he wasn't used to getting. I was already hugging him tightly when Happy spoke up.

"Lucy is crazy," Happy stage-whispered across the room to Telescopium. The telescope boy jumped at being spoke to by someone other than me. I ignored the stupid cat, making a mental note to embarrass him in front of Charle later, and released the young child, squatting down in front of him instead.

"Okay, let's get down to the contract," I said, pulling a pad of paper and pen off the floor beside me. "How are Mondays for you?" Telescopium nodded, smiling shyly. I mentally labeled him as shy and nervous, but sweet. I fleetingly glanced behind me to make sure my other guests weren't destroying anything, to see them both sitting at my kitchen table. Natsu was drinking something out of one of my nice teacups (if he breaks that one, I'll kill him) while Happy chewed on the fish he found in my fridge (I should really stop being surprised when they ransack my kitchen for food).

"This is weird," Natsu whispered.

"Aye," Happy replied.

_I can hear you, idiot,_ I thought. "Tuesdays?" I asked. Nod. Wednesdays?" Shake of the head with a muttered apology. And so it went until all seven days of the weeks were accounted for, Wednesday being the only day he can't be summoned. "Okay! Contract complete!" Telescopium threw his fist in the air in celebrations before resuming his jittery pose, looking around nervously.

"M-Master, you c-can call m-me Te-Te-Te-Teller," he stuttered. "I kn-know my na-name is long."

"Please don't call me master! If we're gonna be friends now, you should just use my name!" I said cheerfully. He looked up, shocked. His already big eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

"Friends?" he whispered.

"Aye! Lucy's friends with all her spirits!" Happy said over his bulging stomach on the table. Two fish bones were lying beside him.

"That's what makes her awesome!" Natsu added, joining us. I blushed at the comment. A wide smile took up Teller's face.

"F-Friends!" he cheered, dancing around in his spot. I laughed at his adorable-ness.

"Oi, Teller. Why are you a person if you're supposed to be a telescope?" Natsu asked. Teller stopped moving again, resuming his habit.

"I can tr-transfor-orm. I-Is there something s-s-specific y-you'd like to s-see?" he asked, nervously tugging at his sleeve.

"Can you focus on this star?" I asked, retrieving the Star Contract Natsu had given me from the box on my desk. Teller stared at the coordinates, then at his arm covered in markings, and then back at the coordinates.

"Easy! It's a star located just past Aquarius's constellation in the sky!" Teller walked over to my open window, leaning his head out to look up at the stars for a moment. He then proceeded to stand with both his feet and left hand on the ground, forming something like a triangle. He stuck his bare right arm, with all the marks, slanted above him like a telescope's body would be. "Telescopium Form Change!"

His arms and legs grew and change until his body actually was a telescope. A long, beautiful silver telescope on a black tripod with a gigantic lens on the end.

"C-Come, Lucy!" the telescope said eagerly, sticking its lens out into the night sky. It twisted and magnified, focusing on one certain star.

"Whaaa! He turned into metal!" Natsu cried.

"Shut it! Don't be rude!" I scolded.

"I wasn't tryin ta be! I was just sayin he isn't a kid anymore!"

"L-Lucy! I-I-I-I've f-found it!" Teller called, interrupting our argument before is started. The two of us walked over, Happy having already fallen asleep after his meal, and stared at the complicated contraption in front of us.

"How do we work this thing?" Natsu asked.

"Just l-look through the ey-eyepiece at t-the b-bottom," Teller said. I stuck my face in the correct place and closed on eyes so I could focus better on the scene I was seeing.

Teller was showing me one single star out of the entire sky, which glowed brighter than all the other around it. It was breathtaking.

"Lemme see!" Natsu said, pushing me aside lightly. He looked in, pulling away a second later. "Well, that's right!"

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking back through Teller. The star was still there, just as bright as before.

"I wanted to get you a star that was just like you!" he said, grinning toothily. I looked up at him with a straight face.

"A sphere of hot gas?" I questioned.

"No, weirdo, bright! That star's the brightest one in the sky, just like you're the brightest person in a crowd of people!"

Oh, damn. Natsu knows how to make me blush. I stood up in a rush and threw my arms around his neck, stretching up a little so I could rest my head against his shoulder. I felt his warm arms wrap around my waist.

"Thank you," I whispered. Who knew Natsu could be so sweet? It goes to show, never judge a book by its-

"Luce?" he asked quietly. I pulled away to look at him, not leaving the circle of his embrace, when my thoughts were completely cut off. His eyes stared straight into mine. His face was so close. He slowly started leaning in closer to me. My fingers unconsciously tangled in the hair above his neck. My breath hitched when he playfully bumped his nose against mine, giving me a shark-tooth smile. I was just starting to close my eyes, waiting for his warmth mouth, when the moment was ruined.

"NATSU'S TOO HUNGRY! HE'S TRYING TO EAT LUCY'S FACE!" Happy cried, waking from his nap and seeing the current situation through his stupid cat eyes. I jumped away from Natsu faster than Erza would jump for strawberry cake. It ended with me falling on my butt on the floor a few feet away, Happy flying in crazy patterns all over the room muttering to himself about finding more food for Natsu, and Natsu standing gin the same spot he was in before, staring at me with confusion in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Luce? Why'd ya stop?" he asked. I internally face-palmed. Of course he wouldn't care. Happy froze.

"Kekekeke, you lllllllllliike each other. Mira will give me all the fishes for this!" he tweeted, dashing out the window and flying in the direction of the guild in hopes that the white haired devil will still be there this late at night.

"Natsu, I swear, if Mira tortures me at the guild tomorrow because of what that stupid cat tells her, I will kill you," I said in a cool monotone. Natsu just looked even more confused.

"Why?"

"Because it's embarrassing! She's going to tell everyone else in the guild, and they're all going to tease me too! Nobody's ever going to let me forget about this!" I wailed, face burning ten shades of red in embarrassment.

"Let's just tell them, then!"

"Tell them what, exactly?"

"Tell them we're together!"

Another face-palm. "They know that, Natsu. That's not the point—You know what, never mind. Let's just go to bed already."

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The giant wooden doors flew open bright and early the next morning, disturbing the relatively peaceful guild hall.

"LUCY IS MINE, SO NOBODY ELSE TOUCH HER!" Natsu yelled to everyone. I stood beside him, covering my face with the hand Natsu wasn't holding. This was ridiculous and horribly mentally scarring.

"Oi, everyone already knows that, Flame Princess!" Gray called back. I peeked between my fingers. The guys were rolling their eyes at Natsu's words choice, the girls were giggling behind their hands over at the bar, waiting at ambush me, and Mirajane was unconscious on the ground, little hearts floating above her head.

"Damn it, Natsu!" I groaned, marching over to the bar and plopping down in my usual seat. I slammed my head into my arms, hiding my bright red cheeks from the girls crowded around me.

"NATSU," I heard the commanding voice behind me and pictured the scene. Erza stormed over to my stupid pink-headed dragon slayer, pointing a sword at either his throat or his heart, glaring at him evilly.

"What did I tell you about people being objects?!"

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: That chapter number thing is REALLY bothering me, so I'm updating the chapter numbers so they all match! Sorry, but my OCD on this is driving me toooo crazy! These chapter will now be known as Fluffer chapters!**

**Another fluffy chapter that I hope you liked! Do you hate me for the interrupted kiss? I feel evil! **

**Excuse any typos, I'm running a bit behind on time to re-check this story for a while, so I'm just posting it as is! **

**The story continues in the next chapter, so until then… Happy reading, Fairies!**


	19. Chapter 19

"Just leave us alone," I pleaded with the five giant men standing in front of me. My hand slowly reached down for my keys when I thought they weren't looking.

"We won't hurt anyone if you come with us willingly," the man in the middle said. He was the shortest, but he looked the strongest. His arms were probably the size of my thighs. There was no way I'd be able to beat even one of these guys on my own.

Why did I have to be so stupid? Everyone was back at our camp in the woods, probably sleeping peacefully like I should be doing. The quickest way to Lunar Mountain was through miles and miles of forest, with no towns to stop in. I voted for taking a longer course so we could sleep in hotels along the way and eat actual food, but Erza vetoed it. She said it would do us good to rely on our survival skills for once.

Everyone has been so nice to me the entire time we've been walking, and I am sick of it. It was too much! Gray and Happy kept asking if I was okay, Erza offered to carry my bags, and Natsu offered to carry ME. I understand that they mean well, but it's driving me crazy! So after we set up tents and everyone fell asleep, I snuck out to be alone for a while.

Big mistake. I met these guys, who immediately introduced themselves as members from Stone Heart, here to take me back to their master and employer. This night absolutely _sucked_.

Something shifted within me when my hand grabbed the first key it touched. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but I knew it wasn't a good thing.

"She's going for her keys. Something just changed inside her," one of the guys said. He had short red hair spiked up on his head like Natsu's and was wearing a pair of pants without a shirt. I wondered briefly if he had a stripping habit like Gray.

"Go, Keen," the man in the middle said. Someone to his left with long black hair falling free to his waist stepped forward. He wore a long black trench coat that almost touched the ground. He was so dark, I almost couldn't see him. He blended in with the dark night.

Without hesitating, I pulled out they key I was holding and slashed it through the said.

"Gate of the Dragon, I summon thee: Draco!" I chanted. This was the first time I'd called on him since I found his key while searching for Pisces' with Natsu. He insisted that I should get it, I think mainly because he wanted to see what it would look like.

In a poof of red smoke, a tall guy appeared in front of me. He looked my age, and was wearing a plain black tee and low rise jeans with sunglasses. Long black dragon tattoos trailed up his arms and the back of his neck. There was one tiny gold dragon right below his eye.

"Can we make the contract later?" I asked quickly. Draco nodded and turned around to flash me a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Lucinda. I'm-," Keen ran up behind him soundlessly and pulled his arm back to punch him, but Draco grabbed his fist and stopped it in mid-air. I was too shocked to correct him on my name.

"I'm not that stupid, man," Draco said, whirling around to a shocked Keen. His foot shot forward, connecting with Keen's chest, and knocked him back a dozen feet. Keen was up a moment later and he charged once again. Just as he was nearly invisible in the night, he was also silent. His feet made no sound when they touched the ground. Draco rubbed his hands over his arms. They glowed bright for a second. Two of the dragons on his right and left arms came to life and slithered off, where it grew to the size of a small horse. It breathed a stream of fire at Keen, who dodged before he could be burnt to a crisp. Draco laughed.

I was about to try to help him when another of the five men came at me. It was the one who could tell something changed in me.

"I can read and hear a person's heartbeat. I know when they are anxious. I know when they are happy. I know when they are sad," he said, circling me slowly with calculating eyes.

"Cut the intimidation crap," I spat. "If that's all you do, then you'll be easy to beat."

"We don't have time for this, Kale. Just hurry up!" the man I assumed was the leader said. Before Kale could move, I grabbed for another key.

"Gate of the Ram, I summon thee: Capricorn!" The tall white ram appeared in front of me, his fists already up, ready to fight for me.

"You must get past meh if you want Lucy-sama," he said. Kale was surprisingly fast, his red hair turning into a blur when he fought viciously with my spirit. He separated Capricorn from me, leaving me wide open.

"She can't call more than two spirits at the same time," the leader scoffed. "Finish this now, Klein." Another of the men pulled back his hood, revealing the same face and hairstyle as Kale. Were they twins? He was wearing the same kind of pants as Kale, but with a plain black hoodie.

"I see into your heart. There are people you love in the forest behind you," he said in a monotone. That feeling I had when I first saw them started getting bigger in my chest. I didn't let myself feel fear. Nobody was coming to save me. I had to do this on my own.

"What is his name? The name of the man you love?" Klein asked. "Is it Natsu? Yes, I believe I am correct. The others are your friends, though you consider them all family."

I tried to stop the little shred of fright from bubbling over. The foreign feeling started to grow, eating up every other feeling in my body. How did he know about Natsu?

"Yo, Lucille!" Draco yelled. I grit my teeth at my name again. I spared a look over to him. He was standing back and admiring his dragons beating the crap out of Keen. "Be careful." He winked. My confusion had already been eaten by the monster feeling slowly taking over, so I only nodded as if I understood what he was talking about. A ring of trees caught on fire from one of Draco's two dragons, sealing us off from the rest of the world. For a moment, I wondered it if woke my friends up. The flames cast odd shadows on everyone's faces.

"If you refuse to surrender, we will take them. We'll torture each and every one of them. And it will be all your fault. Just like when your guild was destroyed. Just like when Levy and Natsu and Erza were hurt because of you," Klein said. I froze.

"How do you know about that?" I whispered.

"I see everything in your heart. I see your mother and father dying. I see you crying over their loss. I see every sad memory and fear contained in your tiny heart. Trust me, there are many. You are a scared little child in a grown up's world."

_"__A person can change, at the moment when the person wishes to change." _Where had I heard that before, and why did it suddenly pop into my head now?

The monster inside completely took over. My thoughts were replaced with pity. This poor man honestly thought he could defeat me. He thought he could hurt my friends. He thought he was strong. My thoughts were no longer my own. I don't think like this, do I? No, it's the monster inside. What is this? I've never felt this before.

I screamed. It was one long sound of fury, pain, and power I didn't know I had. I grabbed the ring that held all my keys and threw it into the air, where they hovered above my head. Klein ran up to me and slammed into an invisible barrier. I could feel my eyes glowing red as I lost even more control. They sure as hell were scary. With the circle of fire surrounding the clearing, nobody would be able to try to stop us. The scary me was glad for this.

"Geez, looks like I'll have to do this myself," the leader grumbled. "I'm Oscar. I am the second in command in Stone Heart and leader of Team Perish. No one has ever defeated me." He rolled his sleeves up. "And you are not about to break that record." Was that just a weird thing he does, introducing himself and the others before attacking? Are they that arrogant?

The invisible barrier stopped him too. His eyes widened. The monster took control of my anger.

"You. Will. Not. Hurt. My. Friends," I hissed. I raised my hands in the air above me, towards my keys, and spread my fingers out. Each gold key chained together and started spinning above my head, giving me what looked like a halo.

The halo. The red eyes. The anger and sudden power surge. The inner monster chuckled. _Angel from Hell._ The words floated up through my mind, making me want to puke. I'm not bad! This isn't me! Make it all stop, please!

"What's going on?" Oscar asked. The confidence in his face dropped away. He was just standing there. Was that his power? Supreme arrogance and confidence? His jaw dropped in horror at what he saw behind me. I didn't have to look to know what was going on.

Each Zodiac spirit stood behind me. Capricorn abandoned his fight with Kale to join the others. In a single fluid move, they simultaneously stepped inside my body. I felt all of their power taking me over. I couldn't see for a moment. Everything disappeared except for an image of my mother's face. She smiled sadly at me, and then was gone, leaving me chilled to the bone.

I was a completely different person. I'm not Lucy. Lucy doesn't feel this way! Lucy is scared, whiny, and nowhere near this strong! Who am I?

"Leave," everyone inside me said. The different voices that came out of my mouth clashed together, making the most terrifying combination I'd ever heard. Oscar laughed.

"Oh, you think you're so tough now," he mocked. "You don't know how to use that power inside you!"

"Exactly," I smiled angelically. I felt my barrier break, and so did the others. They charged at me full speed, but all I did was laugh. Draco disappeared along with is dragons.

"You guys are screwed now," were his parting words. I held up my left hand and used Libra's power. The men toppled to the ground in front of me as I offset their balance. It only took a moment for them to realize, and they wobbly stood up and came at me again. My right hand glowed gold with Loke's power. I blasted them with light formed in the shape of a lion's head. Oscar, Keen, and the man who hadn't said one word or moved at all narrowly missed it, but Kane and Klein were hit head on.

"Gotta try harder than that!" Oscar yelled. He reached me first, sending fists flying in every direction quicker than light. Capricorn's agility and swiftness took over my body as I dodged each one. I felt Keen's presence behind me, and I twirled like a ballerina out of the way before he could hit me.

Aquarius took over, and water magically flowed from my finger tips. I used it as whips and slashed each man repeatedly until they backed away. The smoke in the air from the ring of fire was starting to go to my head. I got dizzy again. The monster feeling was starting to subside, leaving emptiness in its place. The magic in me was fading fast.

I felt someone move behind me, and I spun with a bow and arrow in my hands from Sagittarius on reflex. Without thinking, I shot the arrow at the newcomer. A pink haired boy rolled out of the way. It just barely missed his head.

"Luce?" Natsu asked. I didn't recognize him for a second. Stone Heart crept up behind me while I was distracted. Taurus's ax appeared in my hands and I turned in tight circles, swinging it around blindly. Scorpio's gust of sand flew out of my arms. The ground shook with the power of Virgo, and little by little I was losing consciousness.

"LUCY!" Natsu yelled. Tears streamed down my face as my arms transformed into the white and black fish. They stretched out and rose into the air thirty feet high, letting loose a high pitched scream.

Scissors appeared in my hands and purple fluff surrounded me. I couldn't tell up from down anymore. Why can't this just stop? How do I make it stop?

PLEASE STOP.

"LUCY!"

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Natsu's PoV

The weird guys that had been surrounding Lucy when I found her were already gone when her arms turned into fish. Happy would have been drooling if he weren't so scared. I was too, for that matter.

Lucy stood still for a second after the purple clouds of fluff faded, and then everyone stepped out of her. Literally. The twelve Zodiac spirits I recognized came out of her body and circled her.

"Luce!" I yelled, running to her. Her eyes were glazed over, and she stared at nothing. I swallowed my fear.

"I knew we shouldn't have done this –ebi!" Cancer said.

"Look at my beautiful Lucy's body now!" Taurus cried, looking at the bruises already forming on her skin. Her clothes were torn, barely covering her body at all. I tried really hard not to stare.

"We should all be punished," Virgo said quietly.

The spirits bickered over each other.

"Loke!" I yelled over the other voices. They hushed instantly. "What the hell happened?"

"The men that ran away were from Stone Heart. They were here to take her back with them. She didn't know how to handle the power that came from having all twelve Zodiac keys. She summoned us all at the same time unknowingly and called us into her body. She was taken over by rage. She didn't know what she was doing!" Loke explained.

"I'm sorry!" Aries whimpered.

"The princess is only staying up right now because we are here. We are lending her our power to keep her upright," Virgo said.

"I don't get it!" I said, clutching me head. Happy was silent. How could people be inside other people at the same time?

"It doesn't matter. All you need to know right now is that she almost died just then. The power was way too much for her, and she used every ounce of energy she had without realizing it. Get her back to your camp and let the stupid girl heal," Aquarius snapped.

I nodded and scooped Lucy into my arms. The spirits left one by one, back into the Sprit World, until only Loke remained.

"I'm going to stay here for a while," he said simply.

We walked back silently to our camp. I tried to sort through everything I saw and what everyone said, but it still didn't make any sense. Happy hadn't spoken one word since we found Lucy. He stayed uncharacteristically quiet and flew above me, looking back at Lucy every few seconds.

Was Lucy going to be okay?

**_FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN A CONTEST! _**

**This is one of the first chapters I wrote for this story, and it was a really fun and also creepy one to write. I re-read this before posting it, and I am thoroughly disturbed with my own mind. **

**It's contest time! Can you guess what anime/manga I quoted in this chapter? If you're the first person to guess correctly by the time the next chapter is uploaded, I'll write you and NaLu one-shot you want, to be put in with my new story of drabbles I'm publishing soon! The line is:**

**_"_****_A person can change, at the moment when the person wishes to change."_**

**Good luck, Fairies!**

**Disclaimer: That line is not mine. Full credit goes to the creator of _, which I will name in the beginning of the next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

"Hello, darling."

My family stood in front of me. My **real** family. My mother and my father.

"How are you-?" I tried to ask. Where were we? The last thing I remember is the people from Stone Heart surrounding me while I was alone, and a lot of power and fear…

Was I dead? I looked around to try to find out where I was, but there was nothing to look at. We were standing in a black space. There was no ceiling or walls that I could see. There was nothing.

"You aren't dead," Mama said, answering my thoughts. She stepped forward and held a hand out to me. I took it without and thinking and hugged her tightly. Papa circled his arms around us both, and we all stood together like that for what I thought was a long time.

"What happened?" I asked, reluctantly breaking away.

"You overdid it. Having all twelve keys gives you immense power, and you didn't know that. The power consumed you, and you didn't know how to fight it," Mama replied.

"You kicked ass though. It was pretty awesome. You'll be in those guys' nightmares for a long time," she added, laughing. Although her word choice shocked me, I couldn't stop myself from both giggling and crying at the same time.

"Oh, Lucy. Don't cry," Father said comfortingly.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything! I was going to visit you in Acalypha and try to fix things, but you were already gone!" I cried. I had to tell him before he left. I didn't want him to think I hated him anymore! He rested a hand on top of my head gently.

"I love you Lucy. Nothing will ever change that."

"We both do. We came here to speak with you this one time. It may never happen again. We are borrowing magic from the Spirit King himself to see you," Mama said.

"But why-?"

"We wanted to tell you how proud we were of you and how much we love you."

"Our time is quickly fading," Papa said. I hugged them again, squeezing as hard as I could.

"Don't leave me again!" I begged.

"We are always with you," he whispered. "We will try to help when we can. We love you."

"Your friends are worried about you. Return to them." Mama's voice got quieter. "Be careful the next time you summon your spirits." Their voices combined for the next and last sentence.

"Live your life happily, the way you want to." The loving warmth around me increased, sapping my energy. It was comforting yet cold at the same time. I opened my eyes to see red, blue, orange, and pink hair about me.

"LUCY!" they all screamed.

"I feel like I was just hit with a bus," I complained, trying to sit up. Loke put an arm behind my shoulder and helped me. Natsu glared at the lion spirit. We were in the big green tent I was sharing with Erza. The boys had their own a few feet away, much to their dismay. They had a fit when Erza insisted that the two of us should have the bigger tent, since we're girls. They quickly agreed when Erza pulled out one of her many swords and threatened them.

Someone had changed my ripped clothes. Instead of my shorts and shirt I'd been wearing the clearing, I was now in my comfy pink pajamas. A few feet behind Gray, I saw the same box with the scale inside that I've been guarding carefully.

My body felt like lead. I could barely move my fingers. My eyelids shut heavily and took a while to open again.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked. I smiled at him and everyone else weakly.

"I can barely move I'm so exhausted, and my body hurts all over."

"That's to be expected. You did summon twelve Zodiac spirits at once," Loke said. "You're going to feel weak for a while."

Natsu was looking at me carefully. Is he the one that found me, or did someone else take me back? I've never even heard of someone being able to summon the twelve most powerful spirits out at the same time. How was it possible that I could?

"Lucy was scary!" Happy exclaimed, floating in happy circles above my head. "She had everyone's powers and her arms turned into fish! They looked delicious!"

"My arms?" I asked, horrified. I glanced down, but my arms looked normal.

"Do you not remember any of it?" Gray asked. I shook my head.

"The last thing I remember is sneaking away and being surrounded by those men…"

"Let me explain," Loke offered. Keeping an arm around me, he shifted into a more comfortable position. "Having all twelve Zodiac keys multiplies your magic capability by twelve. You didn't know, so you just summoned us like you normally would. You had no way to defend yourself against the power.

"Because of your strong bond with us, your powers are tied to your emotions. When Klein saw into your heart, he drew out your secrets and used them against you. He threatened everyone, and you got too angry. The power consumed your mind and body.

"You used all of your magic containing us in your body. When we merged with you, you gained all of our magic as well. Even after the men from Stone Heart left, you couldn't stop. It was too much for you, and you kept going without a choice. You were blinded with power. Natsu showed up before you passed out. We brought you back here. You've been asleep all day; it's almost night now."

"Why did you leave?" Natsu burst out angrily. My temper flared up.

"I was sick of everyone treating me like a baby. I know this curse is dangerous, but I just want you all to treat me the same. If I need something, or if something is bothering me, I'll say it," I said, equally mad. We glared at each other from across the tent.

"Loke, I wasn't aware that it was possible to be possessed by the Zodiac spirits," Erza interrupted, trying to change the subject before we could fight more.

"That's because it's never happened before. Only one person has ever had all twelve keys at the same time, and even then she didn't have this much power. Lucy is making history. The legend says she will be the gate between the Spirit World and the Human World, but we don't know what that means yet."

Who knew that it was possible to do that? Could Natsu and Happy have been scared of me when they found me? Not the kind of scary that Happy always calls me, but truthfully frightening? Erza seemed to see where my mind was going.

"Alright, everyone out. Lucy needs to rest now," she commanded. Loke and Gray nodded and crawled through the little tent flap to the left. Natsu stayed behind for a minute, frowning at me. I glared back, daring him to yell at me. I sighed when he left.

"He's really mad at me," I said sadly.

"He's not mad," Erza insisted. "He was worried. He got up in the middle of the night and stuck his head in here to check on you, but you were gone. He woke us all up and went to look for you. He told us to stay here and look in the woods around us while he went farther. He mumbled something about your smell and fire. He came back an hour later with you and Loke."

"He was worried?" I asked, dumbfounded. My mother's words from before she left floated through my mind again.

"Of course. We all were," Erza said. "Now go to sleep. And no more sneaking out." She stared at me hard. I nodded sheepishly and snuggled deeper into my warm sleeping bag.

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Natsu's PoV

"She's so stupid!" I hissed in anger.

"I think you're the stupid one, Ash Head," Gray said calmly.

"What did you call me, Ice Brain?"

"Just shut up, guys. You're both stupid," Loke grunted.

"She was scared, and we weren't particularly helping," Gray noted.

"What do you mean, we weren't helpin?! We kept askin her how she was and stuff! Maybe if she wasn't so dang frustrating, she wouldn't have wandered off! Didn't she know she'd get in trouble?" I asked.

"That doesn't make any sense," Loke said, rolling over on the ground. "Just shut up already. I'm trying to sleep."

"She didn't want us to treat her any differently, you dense idiot," Gray said flatly.

"Ice Princess!"

"Squinty Eyes!"

"Droopy Eyes!"

We butted heads, about to start a fist fight in our smaller tent, when we both realized it at the same time. We looked at Loke.

"SINCE WHEN DO SPIRITS SLEEP?" Loke froze, and sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, yeah. Oops," he chuckled.


	21. Chapter 21

Lucy's PoV

"NATSU!" I screamed. My hand reached down to touch his face, but he disintegrated in my arms before I could. He left behind nothing but ash. With nothing to hold, my empty arms crossed over my burning chest.

"You killed him," the voice in my head whispered. "You killed him. It's your fault. You killed him. You killed him."

"It was an accident," I sobbed. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. None of it should have happened!"

"LUCY!" Someone was grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. I curled in on myself and cried freely, ignoring whoever it was. Can't they see I'm in pain? Why can't they leave me alone for once?

"LUCY!" they yelled even louder. The monster feeling inside me slid up again, but I shoved it to the side.

_Just go away. I don't want you here right now, _I thought to it.

"LUCE, wake up!" Only one person calls me Luce, and he's gone now. I opened my eyes finally; about to smack the hell out of whomever was there.

_I opened my eyes._ It was just a dream. Natsu hugged me to him, trying to calm me down. Natsu is here. He's here, and he's alive, holding me.

Good thing nobody else was in here, or else I would have never heard the end of why I was clutching his scarf and vest for dear life. I had to be sure he was actually there.

"Happy came in to wake you up. He said you were acting weird so he came and got me," he said quietly. I nodded and scrubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand. Stupid, worthless tears.

"What did you dream about?" he asked. "Was it-"

"Alright, let's get going!" I said, cutting him off. I didn't want to hear what he was going to say. Whatever he thought my nightmare was about, he was wrong. There's no way he'd ever think that the tears in my eyes are because of him.

I crawled out the tent flap and into the bright morning, away from a confused and slightly hurt Natsu. Erza was cooking in a giant pot over a fire that I assumed Natsu made before he came and got me. Gray was talking to Loke over at the logs we set up as benches yesterday- well, two days ago. Happy was flying over Erza, trying to sneak a fish away from her.

"Why didn't we stay in a hotel again?" I grumbled, walking over to Erza.

"Because there aren't any near Lunar Mountain," Erza answered. The headache that's been with me constantly returned, and I moved to sit with the boys. I wasn't worried about it, although the others were. I made the mistake of telling them about it on our way here. Everyone panicked and made me sit down until it went away. Eventually, I just lied to them so we could keep going.

"Do you want to train today?" Loke asked.

"Train?"

"Your new abilities. I think it would be best if you could learn to control them before we meet the dragon." I nodded eagerly. Anything to get my mind off that horrible dream.

"Great. Capricorn and I will be your teachers then."

Gray butted his shoulder against mine. "You're already plenty strong without the training. I bet Natsu will be begging to fight you pretty soo—"

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TOUCHING LUCY?" Natsu yelled, running full speed and punching Gray in the jaw. I fell to the side in order to not be caught up in the middle of the fighting. Loke and I rolled our eyes at our childish friends.

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"You have to become one with the energy inside of you," Capricorn said for the thousandth time.

"You have to feel the energy to be able to control it," Loke said for the millionth time.

We've been working on this for hours. I was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the circle of burnt trees and grass Draco had created last night, while the others were sitting against the rocks a little ways away. My frustration was making me feel like slapping my spirits upside the head.

"You should be feeling calm. That is the way to control these-," Loke started saying.

"I might feel calm if you would stop repeating the same things over and over!" I snapped. I felt the monster stir inside me, wanting to come out and deal with this.

The spirits didn't look bothered by my outburst.

"Just relax. We will leave you on your own for a minute," Capricorn said. That walked over to my friends and started talking to them. I was too far away to hear what they were saying.

_Just stay calm. Connect with the power inside of me. _Yeah, easier said than done. I tried to picture everything in my head. The power was a swirling black cloud deep in my gut. Flashes of light streaked through it. It was like lightning shattering a dark night. My mind and soul were little golden orbs, floating around it helplessly, trying to figure out how to communicate with it. The monster refused to cooperate. An idea suddenly struck me. Keeping one eye closed, I drew out my keys.

"Gate of the Twins, I summon thee: Gemini!" I said quietly. The little blue twins popped out of nowhere. "Do you remember what Klein looks like?" They nodded in unison. "Are we as strong as him?" Another nod. Without me having to tell them, they turned into the red haired twin again.

The monster twitched just seeing him. Little black tendrils snaked out of the black mass inside me, coming slightly closer to my mind and soul.

"His name is Natsu, isn't it?" I saw Natsu's head turn my direction at hearing his name. "That makes it easier. We'll know who to kill now," Gemini-Klein said. Loke and Capricorn held back the others, keeping them from saving me. They didn't realize that this was just Gemini. Even though I knew it was just a replica of the real person, I was still furious hearing the words.

"Erza, Gray, Happy. We will hunt down all of them and kill them. And it will be all your fault."

Clouds covered the sun. I felt like I was being stabbed when the monster connected with my soul and mind. Cold fear washed over me. This wasn't right. This monster wasn't the energy Loke was talking about. I felt the same as the other night! I felt like I was being eaten alive!

I curled into myself on the ground, fighting off the monster. There was too much pain for me to look up and see what the others were doing. I had to focus. _I can't lose control again._ I have to be strong. I have to figure this out!

I thought of my mom's face. I remembered her and Papa hugging me, saying they were proud and they loved me. Just as my mind was about to be possessed with anger, a blinding light flashed through the clearing. My pain was erased. I hesitantly sat up and looked around. Everything looked normal. Erza and the others stopped struggling when they saw me. Gemini returned o their original forms and floated behind me.

"We're sorry," they said, apologizing for the pain they knew I felt and their/ Klein's words. The other keys flew from the pouch again and circled my head. Loke and Capricorn joined the rest of the spirits behind me. Just like last night, they stepped inside my body. But this time, I could hear them.

_"__Good job, Lucy!"_they all cheered.

What had I connected with? What did I do to make this happen, but to gain control of it? How was I going to do this again if I didn't know how I did it this time?

I carefully walked over to my worried and shocked friends.

"I challenge all of you. I want to see how strong I am compared to you guys," I said. My voice was combined with everyone else's. I did sound scary. I wonder what everyone else saw right now. What did I look like? Were my eyes red like last time?

"You're going down!"Natsu screeched, jumping to his feet. The others stood hesitantly.

"No going easy on me," I said. They nodded. Did I gain a crap ton of confidence with the magic boost? Usually I'd be begging my friends to not kill me!

Erza changed into her Flight Armor. My friends circled me. Natsu was the first to attack.

"_The water jug,"_ Aquarius yelled. It appeared in my hands. The stream of fire being shot at me dissipated in a cloud of smoke.

"_Underground, Princess," _Virgo said. I burrowed into the soil, just narrowly missing the icy cannon balls Gray sent at me.

"_Sand blast!"_ Scorpio called. Warm sand surrounded me, keeping Gray's swords away from me. Erza used my last defense to hide herself as she pounced at me.

"_Balance," _Libra commanded coolly. The world tilted. As the gravel subsided, I saw my friends lying on the ground. Erza wobbled, but stayed up. With incredible speed, she started coming at me with her sword.

Without saying a word, Capricorn took over. I dodged every attack quickly. There was no time for me to plan anything of my own. My mind was filled with just dodging. We were stuck in this endless ballet until Erza requipped again into her Lightning Empress Armor. She gracefully flipped away for a moment, giving me a chance to glance around at my other opponents.

Natsu was back on his feet, cupping his hands to blow a giant blast of scorching fire at me. Gray had his fist connected to his palm, mumbling words to himself. They simultaneously sent their attacks going at the same time, without meaning to. Their faces were equally shocked when they saw how much power was coming at me all at once.

"_Wool bomb!" _Aries cried. Purple fluff created a wall in front of me, but it wasn't strong enough. Fire, ice, and lightning, all swirled together, hit me in the stomach, knocking me down. Cold sweat rolled down the back of my neck and I breathed hard, almost hyperventilating.

_"__You've done enough. We're coming out now," _Loke warned. When they exited my body, I felt like an empty ragdoll. Natsu charged through the purple cloud and scooped me up into his arms. My stomach hurt, but not as much as I thought it should have.

"You guys went easy on me," I groaned. If they had attacked full strength, I'd be unconscious right now. On the other hand, I was thankful for that. When I stood up, Gray rushed to my side. He and Natsu each draped one of my arms around their shoulders. The three of us made out way back to the camp, followed by Erza and Happy. The rest of my spirits poofed away in colorful clouds of smoke.


	22. Chapter 22

"That was incredible!" Gray cheered. I was slumped down in the girl's tent with Erza and everyone else.

"You were able to hold out against me longer than Natsu ever could," Erza said. "It was a great job."

"Now I really want to fight you! And you too, Lucy!" Natsu yelled. I forced a laugh. Everyone thought I was tired and didn't question my strange behavior. The truth is, ever since we've gotten back from my training, while I have been feeling exhausted, I've also felt a different kind of pain. I brushed it off at first, assuming it was just an aftershock from the attack I was hit with, but then it got worse.

"I'll be right back," I said, crawling into the evening light. I left my friends talking in the tent while I retreated into the woods. I only waited a few minutes to make sure no one else was coming before I lifted my shirt. Already it was stained by a few red dots. There was a long gash in my stomach. I cringed at the sight of blood.

What was going on at home? Was somebody attacking the guild again?

Surprisingly calm, I limped back to the camp. How I had the strength to move at all by myself, I didn't know. My belly was stinging terribly, and my magic power was pretty much completely wiped out.

"Erza, can you come here a minute?" I asked through the flap. I didn't want anyone to see me and freak out, and I tried hard not to let my voice betray me. I sat down dizzily on one of the logs. There was some shuffling, and Erza crawled out. She looked around for me for a second before she noticed me on the logs.

"LUCY!" she yelled, running over when she saw my pale face. It only took a moment for everyone else to pile out and form a circle around me. Erza and Gray were the only ones with any sense. They immediately got out the first aid kit and started cleaning up the cut. Luckily, it wasn't very deep. The blood had made it look worse than it actually was.

Natsu paced in front of me, planning what to do. Loke sat to my left.

"What happened?" Natsu asked.

"I felt something hurt in my stomach, so I came out here and saw the gash. Something happened or is happening at the guild," I wheezed out. The pain had started dying down until Erza covered the wound with antiseptic. The burning sensation made me cry out. Natsu was at my side in an instant and gripped my hand.

"You'll be alright, and so will everyone back at home," he said.

"It must have just been an accident or something," Erza reasoned. If the guild were under attack, you'd be hurt much worse than just that one cut."

"But what kind of accident could it have been to make a slash like that?" Loke mused.

"It's better not to worry about it," I gasped. "Let's just hurry and find Celeste. The quicker we get there, the quicker we can get home.

"Aye sir!" Happy saluted.

"I agree, but we have to consider how long it will take you to get better," Gray added. Erza tightened the last bandage around my stomach and sat up.

"It's getting late. We should all get to sleep. We set off tomorrow at first light," she said, choosing to ignore Gray's comment about waiting.

"You guys go ahead," I said, staring at the logs in the center of the unlit fire pit. "I'm going to stay up a little longer." No one decided to force me. Everyone disappeared into one of the two tents. Well, almost everyone.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked, sitting beside me. We sat there, not touching, for a long time. The sun was completely gone when I started shivering uncontrollably, not entirely from the cold. Natsu lit the logs on fire with a flick of his wrist and put an arm around my shoulder.

"I'm really scared, Natsu. I don't know what's going to happen next," I said.

"We're gonna find that dragon, we're gonna reverse Cleo's curse, and then we're gonna go home and have a party," Natsu replied.

"I can't kill a dragon, Natsu. No matter how strong you are, I don't think you can either. I don't want you of anyone else getting hurt trying to save me."

"Then get stronger."

His words stung slightly, although I knew they were true. I also knew Natsu didn't mean it the way he said it. Right now, I'm still the weakest one in this group. I could barely hold out for a few minutes against Erza. I'm learning, though. That's all I can do, for now.

"Promise me you'll always be there. We don't have to be talking. We can irritate, annoy, and fight all we want. Actually, I prefer that sometimes. Just promise me you'll be there," I asked. I don't know what was with me, but right now, the only thing I'm afraid of is losing the boy next to me.

The boy I know I love.

It's stupid and selfish, but I don't ever care right now.

"I promise," he said. My cheeks burned up from embarrassment and warmth when Natsu turned his face to look me in the eyes. Slowly, he leaned forward until our foreheads were just barely touching.

"You don't have to worry about any of that. Just get better."

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"Natsu's a perv!" someone yelled. It took a really loud thud, a clang, and a loud grunt for me to open my eyes. Natsu was lying on the ground thirty feet away, bleeding profusely from his head. Erza was holding a giant sword in her right hand.

"How could you take advantage of Lucy?" Erza asked menacingly, towering over a terrified Natsu. Gray and Loke chuckled to themselves. Happy floated around, snickering about Natsu and me liking each other.

"I didn't do anything!" Natsu whined.

Embarrassed beyond belief, I stood up, brushing the dirt that was covering my clothes from sleeping on the ground all night. It was easy to figure out what had provoked Erza's rage.

"Lucyyy, tell her I didn't do anything!" Natsu pleaded. I sat on the edge of the same log me and Natsu spent the night on when I realized something. Ignoring the suffering dragon slayer on the ground, I lifted my shirt and unwrapped the long white bandage.

"Lucy! What are you doing?" Erza asked, running over to stop me. I pulled the last piece of cloth away to see…

Nothing. Exactly where my wound had been yesterday, there was nothing. I looked fine. There wasn't even a scratch on me.

"How is this possible?" Erza asked.

"Wendy," I said cheerfully. It was the only explanation that made sense.

"But how?" Loke insisted.

"She must have healed the person that got hurt originally. It transferred over to Lucy, somehow," Gray said, leaning against a tree a few feet away. "I guess it's a good thing she didn't come with us, in that case."

"I wonder if master had known about that when he chose our group to go…," Erza mused.

"Anyway, since I'm not hurt anymore, let's get moving!" I said, already standing up. After a long and… very warm sleep, I felt good as new!

"Let's go then!" Natsu yelled. He grabbed his backpack and ran into the trees with Happy, not waiting for any of us.

"THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE OFF THE HOOK FOR BEING A PERVERT!" Erza yelled, chasing after him in her Flight Armor.

"We better get packing," I sighed to the other two.

**Sorry for the super late upload today. I've been reorganizing and reworking chapters for this story almost all day. I had a ton more written out, but I didn't like how it was going, so I basically changed a ton of what's going to happen next. Forgive me please!**

**Ja ne, Fairies!**


	23. Chapter 23

"I'll go with you on one condition," I said.

"Shut up, Lucy!" Erza yelled. The hand around my throat tightened, lifting me up higher off the ground.

"Takeshi," Oscar commanded. I was set roughly on the ground, although the hand didn't leave my neck. I gasped for breath desperately.

After Gray and I finished packing our tents up (Loke disappeared, making a weak excuse at not wanting to use up all my magic energy), we met up with Natsu and Erza. A giant red lump graced the top of Natsu's head. We walked for hours, stopping a few times to rest and make lunch. We could just barely see the tip of Lunar Mountain when the five men from Stone Heart attacked again. They stepped out of the bushes like they'd been waiting for us.

Natsu started fighting them as soon as I said they were the same men from before. This is when I learned Oscar's power. He could block people's magic and spells. I asked why I could use my magic easily last time we met, if that was true. He made excuses that made sense to no one.

When Keen snuck up behind Gray and punched him in the stomach, my friends all looked at me. We waited a few seconds, and then a few more, until Oscar laughed.

"Curses don't work when they're near me either. So I can take pleasure in watching Lucy as she watches you all get hurt because of her."

Klein, Kale, and Keen went after my friends. With Oscar near, none of them had any way to protect themselves. Takeshi, the fifth man who hasn't said a word since the first time I saw him, held me tightly, forcing me to watch every moment while Oscar whispered horrible things in my ear.

"Just tell me what Stone Heart wants with me," I said now. Erza was kneeling on the ground, trying to get to her feet to keep fighting. Happy was lying face down in the dirt. Gray was staring up at the sky dizzily. Keen had Natsu in a headlock, but my friend was still glaring at the person holding me, barely paying attention to the dark man behind him.

"We want you to join us," Klein said.

"That will never happen. My family is Fairy Tail. I will never leave them," I spat.

"Oh, you don't have much of a choice now, do you?" Oscar sneered.

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked.

"We'll get you, one way or another," Kale said menacingly.

"By petty tricks and playing dirty? What kind of a guild are you?!" Erza roared.

"Aww, is the little girl scared?" Oscar mocked, ignoring Erza. He trailed his fingers down my cheek. It was sickening.

"She is, indeed," Klein said.

"Would you stop that?" I yelled at him.

"Stop what? Reading into your heart? Why would I do that?" he asked. "Does it bother you that I can make you so angry? That I can see everything you're feeling, even the things you yourself cannot?"

"Calm down, Lucy," Gray warned, sitting up. If I thought these stupid guys were pissing me off before, my rage now was nothing compared to that.

Oscar's hand was still on my face. I waited for a moment, anticipation building, relaxing my body as if I'd given up. I caught a millisecond of slack from Takeshi. At that exact moment, I twisted my head down and to the side and crunched as hard as I could on Oscar's disgusting finger. He staggered away, clutching his bleeding hand. Takeshi lifted me off the ground again.

"That's my girl!" Natsu laughed like a mad man.

"You… are really going to regret that," Oscar threatened. I spat on the ground in front of me. His fingers tasted just as disgusting as they looked. He stepped over to me and slapped me as hard as he could. My neck popped when it flew to the side.

"She's about to lose it again," Kale told Takeshi.

"Don't worry. The stupid wench can't do anything when I'm here!" Oscar boasted, laughing once again. I saw the anger in his eyes. It gave me a sense of pride. I had done something right for once.

"I did it easily last time. And you know what, Oscar?" I asked in a chilling tone. I tried to get control of the monster, but my patience was wearing thin, and it was rearing its ugly head. I tried to remember how I felt last time I did this, but I had no idea what had happened that time to give me control. "You shouldn't be so damn cocky."

"Luce!" Natsu yelled. A bright light enveloped the space we were standing in. My hair lifted into the air, swirling everywhere. _Oh geez, it's going to take forever to get those tangles out._

At the last moment, hearing Natsu's voice along with seeing everyone sprawled across the ground, I shoved the monster back into its stupid cave.

"I stop magic, remember?" Oscar taunted.

"Nothing will stop me when I see my friends hurt because of me. Especially when I know I have the strength to fix things," I said. For the third time in my life, my keys flew in a tight halo over my head. Takeshi dropped me and stepped back, as emotionless as ever. I took a few paces back, taking deep breaths to make sure my control didn't slip.

"But that's impossible!" Oscar gaped.

"Don't underestimate out Lucy," Gray laughed.

"When she set her mind to it, she can do anything," Happy mumbled.

"Don't say what she can and can't do," Erza warned.

"And do NOT piss her off," Natsu laughed. "What happens now it all your fault."

"I don't know how to use these," I muttered to myself when two swords appeared in my hands. One was black with a white stripe down the middle, while the other was white with a black stripe. They each had an ornately carved handle with iron fish weaving across the hilt and up the blade. It was almost like I could see them moving.

"We won't be beat so easily this time!" Oscar yelled over the din of the wind picking up. "We kept Takeshi a secret last time, but no longer! Beware: the strongest mage in all of Stone Heart!"

Takeshi stepped forward. When he grabbed me earlier, I didn't have time to actually see him. I took the chance now to examine him quickly.

It was shocking how much he reminded me of Elfman. Giant in height and build, he was completely white. White hair, ghostly pale skin, white shoes, and a long white kimono of some type. He looked like he just stepped out a time period twenty years ago.

Clumsy with my swords, I tried holding them up dramatically like I've seen people do on shows. I could almost hear Erza face-palm when she saw me.

"You'll use all your strength holding the swords up like that!" she coached. Takeshi waited silently, hands by his sides, while I tried to reposition the giant blades.

"A little lower… there!"

"Are you ready?" Takeshi asked. He had a low voice. I nodded. Strangely, I was much calmer this time, compared to the last time I practiced with my spirits.

Gray gave me a thumbs up. Erza nodded her head. Happy stood up and cheered for me. Natsu, still completely oblivious to the man holding him around the neck, grinned at me. His expression showed one hundred percent confidence that I could beat this guy. I turned back to my opponent, feeling the hopes of my friends fill me.

He was standing in front of me one moment, and the next, all I could see was a white blur through the air. I tried using Capricorn's agility to avoid the hits he was slamming me with, but even that wasn't fast enough.

"See why we are the strongest team in Stone Heart when you put us together!" Oscar called. I was being hit all over my body, from head to toe, with sharp elbows or iron fists. I heard my friends screaming; saw the other members of Stone Heart fighting them to keep my companions from helping me. Everything gradually got quieter. The clearing transformed into a rainy street back in Magnolia…

Natsu laid on the dirty ground beside me, moaning in agony. I could still feel Takeshi hurting me, but it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was my best friend and the boy I love in pain beside me.

"Lucy…," he whispered. "Why did you leave me?"


	24. Chapter 24

Natsu's PoV

Lucy fell to the ground a few minutes after Takeshi started hurting her. It looked like she was holding an invisible person on the ground, crying hysterically.

"What are you doing to her?" Happy whispered. We were all frozen in place by fear.

"Takeshi's power is special. He's extremely fast, as we all are along with enhanced strength, but he can also create illusions for the person he is fighting," Oscar explained.

"So that's what makes you powerful. You cut off a person's magic. Klein finds their deepest fears and sorrows. Takeshi creates it," Erza worked out. "The others are to bring the person back, or beat them until they can't move anymore."

I felt so helpless. Was there nothing I could do to save her? When Erza's discovery was made, we sprung into action. I threw that stupid Keen guy off easily, but he was persistent. Gray and Erza were having the same difficulties. We're stronger when it comes to plain strength, but Stone Heart would just not stay down.

At this rate, we'll never be able to save Lucy! I felt my body start to burn with rage. It kept growing and growing until I was completely on fire. If Lucy could find a way around Oscar's power, then so could I.

"Leave Lucy alone!" I roared, charging at Takeshi. Keen stepped in front of me at the last second, but I knocked him down in one blow. Kale abandoned his fight with Erza and put a hand to my chest. I burned him straight through my vest. Nothing was going to stop me.

"He's not going to stop. This one is stronger than we were informed. Without your abilities, we will lose to him," Klein said. That stupid bastard was reading me. If only I could punch that smug smirk off Oscar's face.

"Let's go, Takeshi. And leave Miss Lucy something to remember us by," he said. Lucy's scream shattered my eardrums and my heart. Takeshi dodged my flaming fist and melted into the shadows.

"COME FIGHT ME, COWARDS!" I yelled, whipping around to see the others had disappeared also. I went running into the woods after them without a second thought. I heard Happy flying behind me.

Those idiots were going to pay for hurting my friends, and for hurting Lucy.

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Lucy's PoV

A fiery pain ripped through my hand. It felt like I was being tortured. Natsu vanished in front of my eyes. He was gone. Where did he go? Was he dead? DID HE DIE? His words still haunted my mind.

_"__Why did you leave me?"_ I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to leave you! I only turned away for a second, and now look at what's happened!

"Natsu!" My heart ripped apart as I opened my eyes. I was in the forest once again, lying on my back. I looked down to try to find the source of my pain. It was my right hand. I lifted it into the air above me, staring in horror. Takeshi somehow burned off half of my Fairy Tail mark.

"Natsu?" I asked hopefully. I don't understand what happened. Why was I in Magnolia a few minutes ago, but here now? Is Natsu really dead? That blob barely beating in my chest clenched at the thought of my dragon slayer, gone.

"He ran off… Lucy, are you okay?" Erza asked, crouching over me. The wounds she obtained from Stone Heart still marred her otherwise perfect skin. It made her look even more dangerous than usual. The barely contained look of worry and anger softened her face, ruining the dark aura around her. I was relieved to see that she wasn't terribly hurt.

"My… insignia…," I whispered tearfully. Erza gaped openly at my hand.

"Gray! Set up the tent. Lucy needs to be treated. Happy, get more bandages!" Erza barked. "Happy?" The blue cat was nowhere in sight. "DAMN IT. Just hold still, Lucy. You'll be fine." She bolted off to our discarded suitcases and bags, returning with a large red and white box. Erza acting so dis-shelved and panicky scared me more than anything.

"I don't understand what happened. Natsu… he died in my arms! I saw him! Why did he have to die?" I sobbed, confused in my own mind. What was the truth? Is this a dream, or was Magnolia and Natsu's death a dream?

"Natsu is completely fine. He ran off after Stone Heart. He's alive and healthy," Erza soothed, pulling me tightly to her chest. My fingers circled around her Heart Kreuz Armor, trying to take shelter in her warmth. In a flash, her chest plate disappeared and I was simply clutching her white ruffled shirt. I saw my burnt skin through clouded eyes.

"It'll be okay," Erza said to me, hugging me tightly. Without further delay, Erza disinfected my hand and wrapped it up. She flinched when I screamed at the alcohol she poured on it. By the time she was finished, I looked like I was about to go a few rounds in the boxing ring.

"NATSU!" Erza screeched, charging at him. I turned my head that way to see him and Happy duck behind a tree, trying to hide from her wrath.

"Let's get you up," Gray said. He carefully helped me to my feet. We trudged over to the newly erected green tent. The inside was layered with blankets and sleeping bags, a makeshift bed for me to rest on. My eyes locked on the package from Chika, confirming it was still with the rest of my stuff.

"It'll be okay, Lucy. Master can fix your hand when we get back," he consoled me.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I don't feel that bad anymore. We need to keep going." And truthfully, I wasn't. The main pain I felt was in my hand. It still felt like it was on fire, heating the rest of my body to an uncomfortable temperature. I'm sure the rest of the places where I was hit – from almost being chocked and from fighting Takeshi – would have been hurting, but the pain in my hand was numbing everything else.

"I'll go let everyone know. Just try to get some sleep," Gray said. He crawled out of the tent, leaving me to my thoughts.

The first thing I did was gently but quickly change my clothes. I shoved the torn remnants of my last outfit with the rest of the shreds. Geez, if this keeps happening, I'll go broke trying to replace my wardrobe!

Why did I feel so embarrassed? Is it because Takeshi erased part of my guild mark? I didn't realize I could feel so naked without it. I guess I've taken it for granted. The seal on my hand is such an important piece of me; it hurts to not have it anymore. Fairy Tail is a symbol of my family. They're the ones who took me in. They've saved me and loved me. They've always protected me. I wish I was strong enough to protect all of them for once.

Everyone's probably out there talking about me right now. Maybe they have the answers to what happened. Was it Takeshi's power that had caused me to see Natsu dying? I hope they're not worrying over me. What a stupid thought. Of course they're worried. They're always worried when it's about me. If I could just get stronger, I wouldn't hold anyone back. They, nobody would have to worry about me anymore.

"Luce?" Natsu asked, poking his head in through the tent flap. I smiled slightly and waved him over with my left hand. Natsu sat beside me and immediately took my right hand in his, staring hard at the white bandage as if he had x-ray powers. I hissed in pain when he gently squeezed it.

"We'll get them back, okay? No one can do something like to my Luce and get away with it," he said. I took a minute to let myself cherish Natsu's warm hand. I stared at him, memorizing everything about him. He was alive. The boy that I love, the boy that says he loves me too, is alive and here.

"Again with the 'my Lucy'?" Erza asked through the tent wall, already re-quipping a sword. Natsu grabbed both my shoulders and spun, hiding behind me.

"I was just kidding! I didn't mean it that way, honest!" he cried.

With Natsu's chest pressed against my back, and his hands still holding my shoulder, I was roasting. Even though I'm a usually cold person, I was on fire now. It felt like I was being burned alive over a roaring fire. And the weirdest part? The heat coming from Natsu wasn't what was making me feel this way. I think being so close to him just set it off. The burning sensation came from my hand. It felt like my blood was literally boiling inside my veins.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" Erza asked, peeking her head in.

My red cheeks gave it away. "It's so warm," I murmured. My eyelids drooped. "It's too warm. I feel like I'm roasting." Natsu put a hand to my forehead, pulling it away quickly.

"OI! Why didn't ya say somethin earlier?!," he yelped, hurriedly scooting away, scared to warm me even more. "You're burnin!"

"GRAY!" Erza bellowed. The ice mage appeared a minute later by her side, Happy following close behind. I saw their blurry outlines through the tent.

"She's burning up. We need ice to cool her down," Erza explained.

A few minutes later, Erza was holding ice cubes wrapped in one of my torn shirts on my forehead, but I barely felt it.

"On… on my hand," I said quietly. She moved the ice to cover my bandaged hand. In seconds, I felt better. I eventually fell asleep leaning against Erza's legs, listening to the hushed voices of my friends talking over me.


	25. Chapter 25

I woke up surrounded by my friends. I assumed the guys had fallen asleep in our tent after spending the whole night talking, most likely about me. I love me friends more than anything, but they really worry way too much, especially when it comes to me.

I crawled out into the sunshine from the early morning, feeling a thousand times better than last night. The pain in my hand had dulled to a sharp constant sting, nothing intolerable. I barely even felt the other bruises and cuts I knew marked my skin. I didn't even want to think about what I looked like. I'd break the mirror if I tried to see myself right now.

The closer we got to the mountain, the more anxious I was getting. We were going to meet a dragon. That in itself is worrying, but we're also supposed to kill it, which is completely ludicrous. People can't kill dragons. It's nearly impossible!

The fresh air forced me to push my worries away. It's no time to be panicking. We just have to take it one step at a time. Mama wasn't scared of Celeste, so I won't be either.

I'll jus go ahead and cook breakfast! Yeah, that'll be a nice treat for my friends. They deserve it. I started a fire in the pit with the box of matches Erza kept with our cooking supplies. Her giant cart held everything I needed to fry some fish, greens we'd collected on our trip through the woods, and make a stew with the meat she had packed. I was just putting food onto plates when Happy and Natsu crawled out of the large tent, yarning, stretching, and scratching. They were followed by Gray, and then by Erza, who looked ashamed.

"Lucy, please forgive me for making you make breakfast! You can hit me if you want!" she said in a rush, turning to the side to give me access to her arm.

"Hit her while you can, Lucy," Happy whispered, already chomping on a fish. His eyes lit up at the taste. I laughed oddly, waving her off.

"It's the least I could do for everything you've all been doing for me!" I said, handing food out to the hungry Fairy Tail mages.

"LUSHEEE IS THE BEST AT MAKING YUMMY FISH!" Happy cried, tears of happiness streaming down his face.

"Thank you, Lucy!" "Thank you Lucy!" "Thanks Luce!" my friends chorused. As we sat around eating, I stared at my friends. It was them I was worried about now. Oscar left long ago, but I still wasn't feeling any of my friends' pain. They each kept their own injuries to themselves. I'm both relieved and disappointed about. I put my bowl down and got out the first aid kit, flitting between my friends so I could bandage their wounds. Erza and Natsu were starting to pack up camp when I moved on to Gray.

"How's your hand?" he asked gently. My fingers slowed as I wrapped the bandage around his arm.

"I'm… okay. I don't understand what happened, though."

"Everyone on Team Perish has enhanced speed and strength, like the Raijinshu and their secondary eye magic. Takeshi's magic allows him to create illusions for his enemy. He also has heat concentrated in his palms, so that's how he burned your mark."

So I was right. He created a scene out of my worst fear. I wonder if Erza told them what my nightmare about.

I wonder what Natsu feared most.

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The mountain was absolutely beautiful. I've never seen anything as wonderful in my entire life. The mountain looked red and gold, affected by the change in seasons. The sight was breathtaking. The pointy top soared up for miles, much further than I could see. The air smelled clean and crisp, clearing my head of every negative thought leftover from this morning. We were just starting up the worn path when…

"KYAAAAAA!" someone shrieked. I practically jumped out of my skin when a little girl tumbled down one of the steep inclines in front of us, knocking me out of my thoughts. I ran to grab her, but she stopped just before I could.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly, putting an arm behind her shoulders to help her sit up. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she started full on wailing.

"Lucy, be careful!" Gray yelled, rushing to my side. He was, again, only in his boxers. My glare sent him back a few steps.

"What? It's just a little girl!" I hissed at him. "And put some damn clothes on!"

"It might be a trap from Stone Heart!" he argued, seemingly unaffected by his near-nudeness.

"Or it could be an injured little girl that fell down!" She was tiny, even younger than Wendy. There were leaves and twigs tangled in her long white hair. Her eyes were as blue as the sky above, or like an icy pond in the winter. There was a tear in the side of her loose-fitting silver dress, stretching from under her arm to her waist. She was absolutely adorable. I instantly fell in love with her.

"Can you tell me your name?" I asked her gently. She rubbed her eyes and stared up at me.

"I'm Selly," she said in a tiny voice.

"Where is your group?" Erza asked formally. Selly hid behind my back fearfully.

"I don't know. I haven't seen them for a few days," she sniffed.

"DAYS?! HOW HAVE YOU LIVED?" Natsu and Happy yelled. Selly shrunk even lower, clutching the back of my shirt in her tiny fists.

"Make them stop yelling at me!" she cried, soaking my back in salt water. I glared at my friends before turning around to face her. They were being so terrible! What happened to helping those in need?

"It's ok. We'll help you find them!" I said confidently. There's no way this little girl could survive out here alone for any longer. She might fall off the mountain with how clumsy she is!

"Of course we will. We shall accompany you up the mountain," Erza said.

"Can you stand?" I asked. She held on to my hand and staggered to her feet. She took a few steps away from me, but fell down again.

"It's ok!" I shushed her. When I helped her up again, she didn't let go of me.

"I can't walk!" she panicked. "I can't walk anywhere! I'll have to chop my legs off and get a wheelchair and I won't be able to wear pretty dresses anymore!" She started hyperventilating, clutching at my skirt.

"Shhh, it's fine. You're legs are okay, just a bit wobbly. I'll carry you," I offered.

"Lucy, are you sure that's a good idea?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, let me do it instead. You should conserve your energy," Erza said, taking a step closer. With fearful eyes, Selly grabbed on to my leg and tried to hide. Erza was shocked.

"I got it," I said. Everyone stared at me as I helped Selly onto my back. Her small arms wrapped around my throat and her feet wound around my waist tightly. She smelled nice, like the mountain itself. Plus, she was light as a feather. The bruises Takeshi left on my body slowly disappeared, as if Selly was drawing the pain out just by touching them. The stinging sensation in my hand even dulled.

"I'll get your things," Erza said quietly. She piled my small suitcase onto the large cart with the rest of her things.

"What's your name?" Selly whispered in my ear.

"I'm Lucy. That's Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy," I said, pointing each one out for her.

"Kitty!" Selly giggled. Her laugh was like a bubbling stream, causing me to smile. Gray skulked behind as Erza led the way up the mountain, steadily making progress. Selly kept up a steady stream of chatter, and although everyone else stayed quiet, I knew they didn't mind the distraction. Everyone was on edge from getting closer to our final destination.

Happy circled around us, playing with Selly and telling funny Natsu stories, which only made him copy Gray, trailing behind the rest of us glumly. The two bickered half-heartedly. I forced myself to forget about them. If they wanted to be in a foul mood, then they could. At least they weren't fighting.

Whenever I tried asking about Selly's lost group, she got really quiet and didn't say anything besides that she couldn't remember. I felt bad for the poor girl. Maybe she hit her head badly when she was out here on her own?

After a few hours, Selly fell asleep on my back. It was starting to get dark out, which made a good excuse to stop. We set up the tents once again in a spot beside a steep cliff face. It blocked off most of the cold wind. The higher up we were getting, the colder and colder it was. Natsu easily got a fire going. We discussed our plans in hushed tones as Selly slept curled against me side. Her long hair tickled my arm.

"What are we going to do now?" Happy asked.

"We have to help Selly," I insisted.

"We don't even know her. She could be a trap from Stone Heart!" Gray said.

"I agree with Gray, Lucy. It seems very suspicious that she appeared right after me met them," Erza added.

"But earlier you said we'll help her!"

"I'm not so sure anymore. There's something she isn't telling us."

"I think Lucy is right. She's just a kid that lost her friends," Natsu sided with me. Selly yawned beside me, rubbing her eyes open.

"Are you feeling any better?" I asked. A beautiful smile lit up her young face. She nodded eagerly.

"Tons! Although I am still tired," Selly said.

"Who were these people in your group?" Erza asked abruptly. Selly sat up and faced Erza fully, without fear for the first time since we met her. All traces of the scared, nervous little girl we first met had vanished. She must have been extremely tired and scared last time she spoke with the others, because now she was as brave as Elfman.

"Their names were Fuyu, Koneko, Yousei, Koori, and Hoshi. I haven't seen them in three days, when we got separated by an evil lady," she said.

"Who?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know. She wouldn't let us pass. I suggest you stop and turn around. She was using a weird type of magic," Selly warned. "She blocks everyone from reaching the top of the mountains."

"We have to keep going, no matter what the danger is," Erza said.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you!" Selly said. "Who are you? What are you people doing on the mountain? Why is it so important that you reach the top?"

"We are mages from a guild named Fairy Tail!" Happy said cheerfully.

"We came to see this beautiful mountain. There's a rumor that the best view comes from the top," Erza lied easily. I shot her a look. I understood that it's safer to not let Selly know, but couldn't she come up with a better excuse?

"Mages? Really? What kind of magic do you use?" Selly asked excitedly. Little stars danced in her pupils. "I love magic so much. It's so pretty!"

"I'm a dragon slayer," Natsu said proudly. He turned each of his fingers into individual little flames, laughing at Selly's shocked face.

"I use requip magic," Erza said. Selly's eyes got wider.

"That's so cool!" she gushed. Erza smiled a little. It was impossible to not like Selly.

"I'm an Ice Make mage," Gray said.

"Does that mean you can make swords and stuff out of ice?" Gray nodded. "You have to make me a sword one day and we can fight! Ice is so pretty. I love ice! My friend used to use some kind of ice magic, and it was great! Your power is so fun and awesome!" she babbled.

I smiled at the happy girl beside me. Her eyes twinkled in the fire light, like little stars themselves. "What kind of magic do you use, Lucy?" she asked me. I looked at Erza to make sure she didn't mind me telling the truth.

"I'm a Celestial Spirit wizard," I said.

"THAT IS WONDERFUL! It's like having a bunch of friends, right? Or are they just tools to you?" she asked sadly.

"It IS like having more friends. How do you know so much about-"

"Spirits are the best. I love the Zodiacs!" she cut me off.

"Do you any kind of magic?" Happy asked her.

"Me? No, not really," she said shyly, looking at the ground. "I'm tired. Can I go back to sleep?" Without waiting for a response, she stepped into the larger of the two tents that were set up. Five sets of eyes watched her go.

"There's definitely something weird about her," Gray thought out loud.

"Why did she not answer my question?" I asked no one.

"And what did she mean by 'not really'?" Erza wondered.


	26. Chapter 26

"Is that a water hole?" Selly yelled, running ahead to the gap in the stones. The orange shirt I leant to her slapped in the wind, being much too large for her tiny frame.

We've been traveling up this mountain for 3 days now. We spent the nights around the fire. It was getting close to fall, and the nights were slowly starting to get cold, especially the higher up the mountain we were getting. Gray and Erza have decided to trust Selly, so we're helping search for her group while also making our way to the Peak of Lunar Mountain. She can walk fine on her own now, but she's stuck to my side like glue whenever we're awake.

"IT IS!" she exclaimed, already taking her clothes off in a way that only a young, un-self-conscious kid could get away with. Embarrassed, Natsu, Happy, and Gray both looked away quickly.

"Selly! What are you doing?" I asked.

"I wanna go swimming!" she said simply, jumping in between the rocks in front of her. I sighed, walking over. The water below was a clear blue, matching Selly's eyes perfectly. Her little head poked up a dozen feet below. "Come on, the water is perfect!"

The rough brown rock seemed to make a rock wall leading down to the water. Since when did mountains have clean water holes? I've only heard about natural springs like this in spas!

I looked back to Erza. My jaw dropped when I saw that she already had changed into her Legend swimsuit.

"I thought that swimsuit was ruined…," I grumbled.

"I got a new one. This will be a good break," she said, performing a perfect swan dive after Selly. Happy flew down next.

"Come on, Luce, it'll be fun!" Natsu yelled, charging past me.

"We might as well," Gray said, stepping around me. I heard the splash of his cannon ball below. I was the only one left above ground, staring down at my friends splashing each other and having fun.

Natsu grinned and waved up at me. We haven't really talked since that night in the woods, after Stone Heart attacked the guild. I mean, of course we've _talked_, but we haven't really _talked_. Does that make any sense? I wonder if I just dreamed that night. Maybe I imagined him saying he loved me… Maybe he only said it because he was worried. He couldn't have really meant it. No. Nothing has changed between us. We're only nakama… My chest ached at that thought.

"For you, Princess," Virgo said, appearing out of nowhere. In her hands was my two white swimsuit pieces with the pink flower on the top.

"Thanks," I said strangely. Do my spirits spy on me, or does Virgo just randomly know when I need something like that? The thought creeped me out.

"Punishment?" Virgo asked.

"I was just thanking you!" I yelled. She popped back into the spirit world without another word. I stepped away from the hole so I could change quickly, leaving my clothes in a neat pile with the rest of our stuff. Erza's giant cart full of bags was getting harder and harder to bring up the mountain with us; the trails were getting thinner the higher up we were. I think we'll have to unload it soon and dig out only the stuff we really need.

"LUCY!" everyone yelled together. I dove straight in head first like Erza, which I realized at the last second was probably a terrible idea. What if they water wasn't deep enough and I broke my neck?

In fact, the water was just deep enough for me to stand on my tip toes. The brown rough walls surrounded us on all sides besides the small opening above. The cave was dark, considering the only light was coming from ten feet above us.

Natsu rushed over and picked me up around the stomach in front of everyone, lighting my butterflies on fire. He lifted me so I was sitting on his shoulders, turning to face the others. Gray smirked and did the same with Erza. Selly, not wanting to be left out, lifted Happy onto hers as she danced around, always keeping her shoulders just beneath the water.

"I shall not lose," Erza said in an ominous voice. She transformed into her Sea Empress Armor, pointing the large silver sword straight at me.

"LET ME DOWN NATSU!" I shrieked, trying to get off. He held on tight, not letting go, laughing hysterically. I started hitting his head and tugging on his hair when Gray advanced toward us. I leaned back as far as I could, successfully knocking Natsu's balance off and tipping us both backwards into the water. We came to the surface, laughing and splashing water at Erza and Gray.

"I have a trick to show you guys!" Selly said, stopping us all. When she asked, Happy flew off her shoulders so she could lie on her back in the water and float. Once again, the guys looked away with dark cheeks. "Just lay on your backs, too!" We each floated on top of the water, looking at the dark cave ceiling above us. A second later, Selly cupped her hands. She blew into the gently. Stars appeared from her little fingers, splattering the ceiling in little pinpricks of light.

The darkness above us was illuminated by the stars. They shone down, bathing us all in a soft light. The opening of the cave started dimming as the sun sunk down and we continued looking wondrously above us.

"How did you…?" I asked in awe.

"Star magic," she whispered back.

"That thing looks like a dragon!" Natsu said loudly.

"Because that's Draco, the Dragon," I said, picturing his key that Natsu had given me in my mind, along with the scary looking spirit with the dragon tattoos.

"That one is a sword," Erza observed, pointing at a grouping of stars. When I started speaking the names, almost invisible lines connected the stars to form the outlines of the constellation.

"That's Dorado, the Swordfish," I said, remembering the book of constellations my mother and father gave me as a present when I was little. It had all eighty eight of the constellations in it, along with the myth and star facts for each of them. I always felt bad for the constellations that didn't have a myth behind them, so I'd make my own…

"Fish!" Happy drooled.

"That's Pisces, the fishes."

"That one looks like a lion," Gray said.

"That because it is. It's Leo, the Lion. Or Loke, as we know him."

Selly had created the entire night sky above us. Every constellation from both hemispheres was somehow above us. She stared at me happily as I told everyone some of the myths of the stars above us, pointing out who each one was. This was the one place where I knew more than they did, and I felt proud to be able to call some of these stars my friends.

"Velpecula, the Fox…Pyxis, the Compass…Monoceros, the Unicorn…" Speaking each of their names out loud made them sound like another of my spirits. I got the strangest feeling from Selly. It was like she was elated that I knew all of these, and how fondly I spoke of them.

Her magic was doing strange things to me. I haven't felt my burned hand hurt since we met her. The constant sting of that wound and the normal headache I had from bearing the brunt of everyone's pain has almost nearly disappeared. The monster that I hated more than anything in my gut was waking up again, trying to feed off the power I felt rising inside me. I don't understand what's happening! I shook trying to force it down again.

"A unicorn? What's that?" Natsu asked. I forced a laugh.

"It's like a horse, but with a pointy thing on its head," Gray said. "Don't you know anything, stupid?"

"Lucy? Are you cold?" Erza asked, stopping the boys' fight before it even started. She swam beside me. Only then did I realize that my shaking had turned into shivering. I bit my tongue in an attempt to stop my chattering teeth. "Come on; let's get you out in the sun." She helped me swim back to the indented rock wall, the others right behind. Why was I so cold?

The fading light barely warmed me up. I put all of my wet hair up to keep it from soaking the clothes I'd changed into. They were damp as soon as I put them on, but I didn't care. We were in there for so much longer than I thought. It was barely lunchtime when Selly found it!

"Natsu, start another fire," Erza ordered, which he did easily.

I sat beside the flames with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, wishing it was Natsu's arm instead. I asked myself again, why was I so cold? What did Selly have to do with my magic? There were so many puzzle pieces strewn out in front of me, but I can't figure out how they connect.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Lucyyyy," Selly whispered, poking my cheek. I rolled over in my sleeping bag, trying to get away from her. "Come on, Lucy. Get up!"

"Just go back to sleep," I grumbled.

"But I have a surprise for you!" I pried my eyes open. Selly was sitting on her knees beside me, smiling widely while she shoved a pair of clothes at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Come on, you have to come outside with me to get it!" Not really understand why I was going along with this, I got dressed in the dark, being careful to stay quiet so I wouldn't wake Erza up a few feet away. I crawled out behind Selly.

If I thought the mountain was beautiful during the day, it was spectacular at night. Moonshine lit everything silver, casting long shadows across the soft ground. Selly's hair shined; her hair almost seemed to glow in the oddly bright light of the moon. She led me past the guys' tent and down a path a half mile away from the water hole we spent the day in.

"What are we doing?" I asked groggily.

"You already know the Ultimate Power of the Stars, correct?" she asked me.

"How do you know about that?" I asked suspiciously, finally waking up. More thoughts came to me, like why Selly didn't wake any of the other up, and how much trouble I was going to be in if they found out I was out here alone with her.

"Yes or no?" she asked patiently.

"Yes."

"Great. Then it's time to teach you the next step. Soul's Key."


	27. Chapter 27

"What… is that?" I asked. "And how do you know about it?"

"You've been feeling that thing in your stomach, right? That thing that consumes you when your anger gets the best of you and your magic?" Was she talking about the black cloud?

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"I'll explain later. Just don't get your magic from that. Think of Natsu and you'll be okay." She winked suggestively, making me even more confused. "Anyways, now is the best time to try this new technique out."

"Here? In the middle of the night? Why?" I asked.

"Because she knew I was coming," a voice called. I turned around to see a woman with long black hair reaching to the ground. She had coal black eyes with black lip stick and black eyes shadow, a long black dress, and black marks covering her skin.

**_'…_****_with hair as dark as the midnight sky and eyes like coals…'_**

"Who are you?" I asked. My head was starting to spin.

**_'_****_The evil one is said to have to have disappeared forever…'_**

"I am Tsukiko. I believe you know about me from my late acquaintance Chika. Such a shame about her, isn't it?" Tsukiko presumed.

**_'_****_I do not think she had died. I think she is the same as me, living somewhere in hiding, biding her time and growing her strength…she is the most dangerous person I have ever met…destroy her when you have the chance.'_**

"You're the Celestial wizard that stole her keys," I said. My mind clicked into action and thought. What had she meant, 'such a shame about her'?

**_'_****_As a gift from the Spirit King, for saving Earthland, I was granted temporary immortality.'_**

"Well, you are smart, at least," Tsukiko laughed.

"What are you doing here? What did you do to Chika?" I snapped. I was pissed off and scared. Was Chika alright?

Why did this keep happening while everyone is asleep? Would it kill bad people to come out in daylight for once, instead of acting like vampires?

"She came for you, Lucy," Selly said calmly.

"What? Why – I mean – I don't…," I spluttered. Of course. People always come for me. It's always my fault my friends get hurt when someone comes after me.

"She wants your power. She knows she no longer has the power to summon celestial spirits, and she plans on sucking your power from you and stealing your keys."

"Very good, Celeste," Tsukiko praised. Celeste…?

Selly appeared in front of me. She stood on her tip toes to press her hands flat against my temples, not unlike what Hibiki did when he showed me Urano Metria.

"This is for you. Use it wisely," she whispered. Images danced in the inside of my eyelids; lines and numbers and pictures that flew by too fast for me to understand. Before I could try to pay attention to them, it was over.

"I'm afraid that you've really done it now, Celeste. I have to kill you too," Tsukiko said somewhat sadly. I stepped in front of Selly as she took a step back. Questions can be answered later. This evil woman will not hurt my friends.

"Gate of the Lion, I summon thee: Leo!" I said coldly, slashing the glittering gold key in front of me. The moon shone down brightly as Loke prepared for a fight. If he recognized Tsukiko, he didn't show it. His golden fist illuminated his sharp features.

"Rise, Demon Apophis," Tsukiko said. From the shadows came a long, slithering snake. She can call out demons? Is that possible?!

As they locked in a fight, I summoned Taurus. She also called out an equally scary man with a battle ax. This one looked like a human, except for the beady eyes I saw glowing in the darkness.

"Use your new key, Lucy," Selly said.

"LUCY!" my friends yelled, running full speed at us. They stopped a few dozen feet away. Even though I could see their moths moving, I heard nothing from them. I didn't have time for them now, anyway.

"Meddling little fairies. My barrier will be enough to stop them," Tsukiko chuckled.

"Don't hurt my friends," I threatened. My hair stood on end. The monster wavered inside me. I tried hard to keep my fierce protectiveness of my friends in control.

"I won't have to if you just come quietly." She was sounding just like Oscar now. Do they really believe I'll hand myself over? I'm a wizard of Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail never gives up, and never backs down.

I put hand to my chest, laying it right over my heart. A magic circled appeared, shining through my shirt. I pulled my fingers away, grasping a new key. Did I pull that from my body?

It was beautiful. It was a bronze wired key. The end was carved into an ornate heart. Fairy Tail's mark was stamped on the end in pink, matching the one on my hand before it was burned off. The words I needed popped into my head.

"Stars shine down bright on me. Release my other part with this key. As light and dark separate, I summon thee: Dark Lucy," I chanted. There was a loud snapping sound. The moon's light was blocked out for a second, and a cold wind rustled the branches around us and my hair. The next time I looked over, there was someone standing beside me.

She was my complete opposite. Her hair was long and black. Where I wore white and blue, she wore varying shades of gray and black. Even her Fairy Tail mark was black, although it was also halfway burned off. She tightened the black bandage on her hand, readjusting it so it covered her mark fully again. But with all of this, she had the same face as me. Her lips were the same shape, her nose the same size, her eyes…

Were golden. They were the most beautiful shade of light caramel and honey. It didn't fit in with the rest of her dark attire.

This was officially the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" the other me yelled, running straight for Tsukiko. She didn't have to time summon out another demon before Dark Lucy was on her. With shocking speed, she pulled out my glowing Fleuve d'étoiles and started attacking. I stood in front of Selly still, not sure what I should do.

"I don't trust Tsukiko. Go get your friends in case she tries something," Selly said. I sprinted over to the barrier without a second thought. The others were pounding on the invisible wall. Loke was fighting alongside my other half against Tsukiko. Taurus and the other demon were nowhere to be seen.

If everything dark inside of me was over there, then what was left in this part of me? I felt tons of fear. It almost made me freeze, until I realized the other emotion balanced it out. I wasn't angry at Tsukiko for attacking us, although I had every reason to be. I felt a great pressure surrounding my heart, almost suffocating. Was this the fear that my other half was missing? The strongest thing I felt right now was a burning desire to protect my friends. Selly was standing in the same spot as earlier, watching with mixed emotions in her timeless eyes.

_"__Stupid witch,"_ someone in my head said. I paused my attempts at breaking the wall to look at Dark Lucy.

"Did you just say something?" I asked quietly, knowing she couldn't hear me from how far away she was.

_"__Of course, we're the same person. As long as we say it out loud, we hear each other. We also feel each other. We share thoughts,"_ Dark Lucy explained impatiently_. "Don't you know anything?"_

I prodded around in my brain, discovering the strange feelings. There was a thin, invisible wall in my mind, separating my thoughts from Dark Lucy's, but if I concentrated hard enough, I could listen to her as well.

Dark Lucy was my anger. She had no fear or regrets; only fury, power, and strength. '_Punch, punch, kick, kick. Lucy kick? No, that's too weak. Dodge… Stupid Loke! He keeps getting in my way...Ha, stupid witch. Can't even survive a fight with the two of us. She calls herself powerful?' _I heard.

"It seems I underestimated you, Lucy Heartfilia," Tsukiko called to me. "I'll be back for you." With that, she avoided one last combined hit from Loke and Dark Lucy, and vanished into the shadows of the night. The barrier beside me silently broke, leaving me with the worried voices of my friends.

"What is going on?" Erza called.

"Why are there two of you?" Gray asked.

"Who was that?" Natsu yelled. I stepped back at his harsh tone. Just the simple act of raising his voice was scaring me.

"Just a stupid bitch," Dark Lucy cackled, walking over to us. "Pinky, mind cooling it? You're scaring my twin."

"That's not a very nice thing to say. She surely had a reason for attacking us," I found myself automatically saying.

"Is that Edolas Lucy?" Erza asked.

"What do you think, Miss Bossy? Do I look anything like that other copy?" Dark Lucy said defiantly, putting her hands on her hips. Erza immediately bristled, joining in Natsu's anger and annoyance.

"I'm sure she was only joking! Weren't you, Lucy?" I asked, trying to make peace between the three. I put one hand on my opposite twin's arm. Dark Lucy snorted. Gray and Happy watched our conversation, trying not to laugh at Dark Lucy's boldness. Happy floated around her head.

"Got something you wanna say, stupid cat?" she asked. Happy's tail shot up. He sped over to Natsu and hid behind him.

"Other Lucy is scary!" he cried.

"Blackie, mind cooling it? You're scaring my cat," Natsu mocked.

"Lucy, you should really try to be nicer."

"Lucy, you should really learn not to take any crap from these people."

"I don't take crap from them; they're my best friends!"

"Then why do you always let them boss you around? I swear, it's like I'm invisible inside of you! I'll make a point to stand out more when we're whole again."

"There's really no need—"

"Would you stop bickering and explain what the hell happened?" Erza snapped.

"Well, excuse me, Miss Huffy. Don't get you panties in a twist," Dark Lucy said sarcastically. This set Erza off. Gray grabbed her arm to keep her from charging.

"Knock it off! We're just tryin' to figure out what happened! You don't have to be a jerk about it!" Natsu defended her. Something inside of me pinged. That was me he was yelling at, even if he didn't realize it.

I was stuck desperately trying to calm everyone down at the same time.

"You did a good job, Lucy," Selly said over the ruckus we were making. Everyone quieted instantly.

"Who are you? How did you know all of this?" I asked first.

"And why the hell didn't you tell us anything sooner?" Dark Lucy fumed.

"I told all of you that my name was Selly, which is the truth, in a way. That's what some people call me. But my real name is Celeste, and I am a dragon."

**I. Am. So. Sorry. I have been without internet for almost a week, leaving me with no way to update this story. I'm so so sorry! I promise from now until the end of this story, I will not miss a day.**

**Branching off of that, as the story slowly (very, very slowly) starts winding down and school starts again, I'm cutting my update days. From now on, I'll update this story every Monday and Friday only. Sorry for any inconveniences, but school has to come first, as much as I hate it. I will stick with this story until the end, though! I will go down with this ship! (If you get my double meaning, you're my new best friend.)**

**Have a good day/night/afternoon Fairies, and I'll see you all later!**


	28. Author's Note: Hiatus

**UPDATE: This story is going on a brief hiatus. This isn't fair to anyone who's reading, and I'm really sorry. But, this story isn't going at all how I want it to. If any of you are writers, you'd understand. When a story gets so far away from what you originally planned, and what you wanted to happen is completely different from what is actually happening. **

**School is also starting very soon, and that has to come first. Things are getting more serious the further along I go, and I thoroughly believe I'm going to end up wearing myself down with all the clubs and activities and responsibilities I'm taking on this year. **

**So, I'll be back in about a month, once things hopefully slow down. I'll return better than ever, and we'll wrap this story up once and for all. **

**Thank you for your continued support. I love you all! See you later, Fairies!**


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